Colors of Fire
by Shiloh Moon
Summary: Post-anime. What happens now that Satan is defeated? What new and exciting adventures await our favorite Exwire Class? Neko the witch is enrolled into the Cram School and causes all sorts of havoc! From sassing the teachers to accidentally destroying Rin's dignity, follow the POVs of the class as chaos and embarrassment runs rampant at True Cross Academy! Complete!
1. Chapter 1

Colors of Fire Ch. 1

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Exorcist.**

 **Welcome to my first fanfiction! Due to me being a cute little kid when I first wrote this, I had written a cumbersome timeline as author's notes. For sentimental reasons, I left them up. If you don't want to read them, feel free to skip over them.**

 **Warnings: Foul language, mild violence, and mentions of blood and other bodily fluids.**

 **Setting: Post-anime. A few months after the defeat of Satan.**

 **Updating System: None, this story is completed. For now…**

 **And that about covers it. Enjoy the story. :)**

o.O.0.O.o

Rin's POV

"We have a new student today, class." Yukio said up front, gesturing at the door for someone to enter.

The door opened slowly and a girl walked in, followed by a little white dog with a pink polka-dotted scarf around its collar. The unmistakable gleam of the pendant adorning the scarf told Rin it was the one and only Mephisto.

The girl shifted her weight uneasily, standing at the front of the class. She had long, jet black hair tied up with two braids splitting from the single elastic band. Her Spanish-tanned skin was smooth but faded.

She wore the girl's uniform with a sword strapped to her belt. The hilt and handle looked like a Greek design, only the blade was thin and sheathed in a Japanese style purple and red sheath.

Despite the sword, the starkest feature was her right eye, white with cataracts and a long, thin scar stretching from her eyebrow to the top of her cheek. Her left eye was a deep purple-magenta.

The girl smiled warmly and greeted her new classmates with a polite yet casual, "Hi."

Yukio cleared his throat and continued. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Shen Neko. She's a transfer student from an exorcism school in America."

Then Rin's brother addressed her directly and told her to take a seat at an empty desk.

Relieved to have been dismissed from the unwanted spot light, she paced to the back of the room and sat on the opposite side to Takara. Once there she unpacked her bag and brought out a couple of text books and a spiral notebook. Mephisto hopped up onto the chair next to her and began whispering to her in hushed tones.

Rin turned back to the front of the class, knowing full well she'd appreciate a little space right now. He'd gone through the same process when he came to the Cram School, Mephisto as his guide as well.

For a moment, he couldn't help but wonder if Mephisto did that for everyone or just half demon students. Then again, when Shiemi enrolled the clown didn't show up. Rin began forming ideas in his head.

Maybe Neko really _was_ like him. He doubted she was a child of Satan, but there were other types of half demons out there, right? He started pondering what type of demon this girl could've been.

Had to have been a big deal since Mephisto involved himself.

"…isn't that right, Mr. Okumura?" a voice was saying.

Rin turned and realized the rest of the class was looking at him expectantly. It took him a second to figure out that his brother was addressing him.

"Huh?" Rin said, confused.

 _What was the question?_

The teacher squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Mr. Okumura, this is your last warning today. Please, try to pay attention."

The bluenette ran his hands through his hair and mumbled, "Sorry, teach."

The younger twin merely sighed and continued the lesson. He occasionally called on his older brother for answers that he, unsurprisingly, still didn't have despite paying attention.

o.O.0.O.o

The day went by rather slowly for Rin, much to his annoyance. His Cram School classes were the highlight of his school day. However, when he got back to the dorm his day got a bit more interesting.

When he walked into the kitchen Rin found the new girl sitting on the counter, swinging her legs like a child and chatting with Ukobach. Their conversation was abruptly stopped when the stove spirit spotted the new arrival.

Neko turned around and grinned. "Hey! I didn't know you had a demon chef! That's pretty cool."

Rin choked and asked, "You can hear him talk?"

The girl frowned and furrowed her brow. "Of course I can hear him. Clear as day."

Rin rubbed the back of his head nervously. "S-so you're like me and Yukio?"

Ukobach hopped off the counter and left the two to get a head start on dinner.

She laughed and replied, "Not exactly. I mean, I'm no daughter of Satan, mind you. I'm more of a chimera."

Rin tilted his head, confused. "Chimera? But you don't look like a mutant half-animal to me."

Her left eye sparkled with amusement. "No, not when the seal is activated. My mother studied witchcraft, so she outfitted me with one. I, too study witchcraft, but I'm more of a scientist at heart."

Rin was taken aback by how much information Neko was willing to share with him. Normally people kept to themselves about their strangeness. This girl was openly talking about herself, giving an overall relaxed air about her. Rin liked that.

"Okay… wait, _witchcraft_?" Rin inquired uneasily.

The girl laughed again, a little more easily this time.

Suddenly a new voice said, "I see you two are getting along."

Yukio entered the room with an armful of books. He quietly set them on the counter and continued, "Miss Shen will be staying in room 617 since Mephisto figured we wouldn't mind. By the way Neko, here are the books you've requested."

The girl smiled and said, "Thanks, Mr. Okumura. And don't worry; I won't blow up the building. I'll be taking my experiments _outside_ this time around." A light undertone made it obvious that blowing up buildings was an issue for her in the past.

A flash of relief played across the younger twin's face. "Excellent. Well, I better be off. I've got stacks of papers to grade."

With that, Rin's brother left the kitchen. Rin then leaned against the counter and asked, "So what type of chimera are you?"

From Rin's tone it was evident that he wasn't used to asking these kinds of questions. His voice held an awkward note that told someone he had no idea how to ask the question casually.

Hearing this, Neko laughed. "I was combined with a raven demon shortly before my mother died."

"Oh… sorry to hear that."

She waved his apology off. "Na, it wasn't your fault. The reason why I took up exorcism is so I can track down the filthy creature that killed her. No biggie."

Her voice was smooth and steady the entire time she was talking. Something told Rin that she was long used to saying those words, which was a bit sad, Rin thought. The bluenette himself often spoke the same way about Shiro, and how pissed off he was at Satan.

In a sense, they were there for the same reason: to avenge their parent's death. It wasn't an uncommon motive among exorcists, after all.

An awkward silence enveloped the two, occasionally disrupted by the sounds of pots clanging in the background.

"So…" Neko ventured. "How's life?"

At first, Rin was startled by the bluntness of the question. Then he realized the girl probably hadn't meant it that way.

"It sucks, for the most part. Nothing you can do about it, so why complain, right?" Rin stated, picking at his fingernails.

The raven girl nodded and looked away. "Don't I know it…"

o.O.0.O.o

Later that night, Rin was getting ready for bed and he walked into his and his sibling's room to find said sibling asleep at his desk. Yukio's glasses were crooked on his nose as his head rested on the papers he was grading. A pool of saliva trickled out of the teen's mouth and spread out all over the tests and quizzes.

He was snoring softly.

Rin walked over and shook his brother's shoulder in hopes of waking him. No such luck, seeing as how he got no response. Slightly irritated, he prepared his hand for a swat upside his twin's head when suddenly he felt something tap his leg.

It was Yukio's tail, swishing contently in correspondence to its owner's slumbers.

A sleepy grin flashed across his face and the older twin grabbed the furry limb and gave it small tug. That effectively startled his brother awake. "Hmm… what do you want, nii-san?"

"You're soaking everyone's papers in drool." Rin yawned while rubbing his eyes. Then he stretched and whispered, "Time for bed, Yukio."

The younger twin mumbled something incoherent in response and shifted from his desk to his bed. He didn't even bother getting undressed; he just crashed and went straight to sleep.

Rin slipped into his own bed not before turning the desk lamp off. Kuro hopped onto the bed and curled up at his feet.

Unknown to Rin at the time, Neko was hard at work in her room, concocting the blueprints for her latest experiment: DNA alteration. And yet more information unknown to the blue exorcist, this particular experiment would eventually, and unintentionally, involve him.

o.O.0.O.o

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	2. Chapter 2

Colors of Fire Ch. 2

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **So I tried out Neko's hairstyle on myself and it was actually fairly easy: Tie it up into a single ponytail and keep the band in. Separate into two sections with fingers. Braid them one at a time. Tie 'em off and done! I'll admit it probably looks a lot better when you have super long hair, and you tie the initial ponytail higher up on your head.**

 **Anywho, what am I here for? Oh yeah!**

 **Now that I've got the ball rolling and you've met Neko I can start on some of my plot bunnies! Who's up first? How about the albino one in the front!**

 ***Grabs magician's hat* Alrighty then, all set!**

 **Mephisto: On with the show!**

 **-.- That's my line…**

o.O.0.O.o

Bon's POV

It was the first mission with the entire class participating. And the blue monkey just _had_ to go and screw it up.

It was late afternoon and the class, plus their instructors Mr. Okumura and Ms. Kirigakure, were spending it at a local inn just outside of Academy Town. They were currently gathered in one of the inn's many guest rooms, awaiting the return of their teachers. They were only out to set up barriers and traps but they were taking _forever_.

Supposedly, the demon they were there to eliminate only showed itself at night. The innkeepers, and a few of the guests, claimed it was some sort of shape shifter that often took on the appearance of a seven year old girl.

"C'mon!" Shima whined next to him. "How long is this supposed to take!"

Rin snorted. "Maybe they ran into the demon already."

"You dumbass!" Bon growled. "Ms. Kirigakure said it only comes out at night! Did you even pay attention during the briefing?"

Immediately the demon's temper flared and he opened his mouth to deliver a defensive insult when suddenly an arm blocked him.

"Will you two cut it out already?" Izumo snarled. "I've had it listening to the both of you!"

Koneko adjusted his glasses and added, "She's right guys, how long are you going to hold this grudge?"

"I'll hold it for a thousand years!" Rin bit back.

"And I'll hold it till the end of my existence!" the rooster-haired teen shot venomously.

"Seriously?" Neko cut in. "I know Tasmanian devils that get along better than you two." The witch crossed her arms and grumbled to herself, something about immature morons ruining her day.

Bon just made his signature "Tch!" and turned his head toward the window, refusing to look at his opponent.

The last few days in the Cram School had been nothing if not interesting. The new addition to the class was shy at first, but warmed up to them quickly. She even sassed one of the teachers and proceeded to correct him in his own subject.

They were in seals and magic circles at the time.

Now that they were finally out on a mission together, they would get to see how she fought. Shima said that her sword was just a family heirloom and she specialized in witchcraft. He was curious to see it for himself.

After sitting in that crammed room for a few more hours, Rin abruptly stood up and paced towards the door.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Bon demanded, getting up from the floor.

"They've been gone for _five_ hours. I'm going to find them."

"But Rin!" Shiemi exclaimed nervously. "Mr. Okumura said to stay here until they come back!"

The blue exorcist scoffed. "Like hell I'm gonna listen to a four-eyes like him. Everyone stay here."

He slid open the door, sword in tow, and shut it again after leaving the room. Shortly after he exited, Neko sighed and pulled herself up.

"Hey!" Bon shouted angrily. "I expected as much from him, but—"

"Chill out already," the witch snapped. "I'm just going to the bathroom! Sheesh…"

She jerked the bathroom door open and slammed it shut, causing everyone in the room to jump.

o.O.0.O.o

Yukio's POV

The young teacher hadn't kept track of the time since him and his foul-mouthed college were ambushed by a rather large hoard of hobgoblins. It was only when he noticed the sinking sun that he realized just how late it was getting.

 _Crap. It's almost time to start the mission!_

If this kept up for much longer they would miss their chance at catching the demon. They would have to stay over another night, and quite frankly, Yukio didn't think he could stand much more of Shima's complaining. Frustrated, Yukio drew his second pistol and started firing as he loaded the other. Just as one of the larger ones vaulted towards him, it was Shura that saved his hide, slashing through the demon from several feet away.

"They just keep comin'!" she shouted angrily.

The red-headed woman spun on the balls of her feet and sliced open five or six of the little bastards. Then she faced the majority of the hoard and prepared a more powerful attack.

"Kirigakure sword technique," she mumbled, biting her thumb and smearing it across her blade. "SNAKE FANG!"

The familiar jagged pink light sliced its way through dozens of advancing hobgoblins. The attempt was nearly pointless, just as many demons stepped forward to replace the ones lost.

Yukio was running low on ammo. Soon he'd be out and would have to resort to the holy water grenades, which he _really_ didn't want to use.

Ever since the battle with Satan, it had grown incredibly irritating for him to carry around the once-appreciated weapons. Now, using them posed just as much of a threat to him as it did his enemies. Rin had suggested using demon-to-demon telepathy to let him know when he was in trouble so he could unsheathe the Koma sword. Doing that now sometimes caused both twins to burst into flames.

However, they were obviously too far apart, and it wasn't a 100% chance that unsheathing the Kurikara would affect him. The only last-last resort Yukio had been to call upon the flames without the Koma sword. The few times he'd actually tried hadn't ended well.

Still, the prodigy continued to shoot.

A few moments later a couple dozen hobgoblins formed a powerful attack that sent the other instructor into the side of a tree. She fell to the ground and a limp heap.

"Shura!" Yukio shouted, unsure if she was awake.

Fortunately, she shakily got to her feet again and kept fighting. "I'm fine! Keep shooting!"

It was only when he heard that horrifying _click_ of his fire arms, the click that told you that the cartridge was empty, was when Yukio thought they were done for. Shura looked exhausted, bruised, and beaten up. Yukio had run out of ammo. Things were looking down for them.

Then a brilliant flash of blue swept through the giant hoard of demons, incinerating and turning them to ash by the second. The entire forest seemed to be lit up with blue orbs of fire.

"What the hell?" Shura exclaimed. "RIN?!"

Sure enough, the elder twin came sailing downward, sword at the ready, aiming straight for the king hobgoblin.

o.O.0.O.o

"You shouldn't have come, Rin." the younger twin lectured. "We had it covered."

Rin gave him a look. "Yeah right, four-eyes! I saved your asses and you both know it." The half demon crossed his arms and grinned, tail waving behind him.

"I don't care if you saved us or not: You should've obeyed our orders! If you really want to be an exorcist you have to obey to your commanding officer!"

"Tch!" his stubborn brother scoffed. "You make it sound like we're in the _military_ , for Pete's sake! Is it really that bad that I came to bail you out? Would you have been happier if I left you there to _die_?"

The younger twin heaved a large sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're right, nii-san. Thank you for your assistance."

Rin's sapphire eyes widened in astonishment. "H-huh?"

"But that doesn't give you the right to just do whatever you want!" Shura added. "You can't just go off on your own and look for someone if they're late!"

The rest of the class turned their heads back and forth between the speakers, as if watching an intense tennis match.

Yukio got up and addressed the class. "We should all be getting some rest now. It's nearly sunrise, so we've missed our chance of catching the shape shifter tonight."

He was immediately ambushed with:

"What?"

"Another night?"

"Are you serious?!"

"WHY MEEE?"

Shima collapsed to the floor and groaned in agony, making a big show out of his displeasure. Koneko sighed and adjusted his glasses. Bon merely crossed his arms and scowled.

Izumo called dibs on the bathroom and took her leave. Neko growled slightly and started unpacking her bedroll. Takara continued to silently speak with his puppet. Shiemi quietly prepared for bed.

The Okumura twins and Shura stayed up for another argument that lasted until the morning.

o.O.0.O.o

Shiemi's POV

Before long it was already morning and Shiemi had woken up to a strange sight.

Shura was crashed out, slumped against the wall in a painful-looking upright position with her head hung. Yukio was stretched out on the floor with his brother snoozing half on top of him, their tails twisted together. It was quite a knot, too.

None-the-less, they looked really peaceful and Shiemi didn't bother disrupting their slumbers. Instead, she got up and quietly slipped into the bathroom to change. When she looked in the mirror she wasn't surprised to find her hair in an absolute mess. She didn't wear make-up, and this time, she was grateful for that fact.

The girl splashed water on her face and proceeded to brush the knots out of her hair. Having short hair, it didn't take long. She was wiping the sleep sand out of the corner of her eye when she noticed something in the mirror.

 _Did I really just see that?_

She'd half convinced herself the white flash of teeth in her mouth wasn't real. After all, her lips were pulled up in such a way that her teeth shouldn't have been visible!

Hesitantly, she parted her lips and screamed at what she saw in the glass.

 _Fangs? How? I'm not a demon!_

Then the glass displayed her reflection with red glowing eyes and an evil sneer adorning her features.

Shiemi stumbled away from the frightening image and ended up falling to the floor in her clumsiness. A second later Izumo and Shura charged in to find her in a shaking heap on the tiles.

"What's wrong?" Izumo asked.

"What happened?" Shura demanded and a serious tone.

Judging by their tones and expressions, Shiemi figured what she saw was only reflected in the mirror. Not actually real.

Shiemi's trembling hand pointed to the glass. The two looked up to find nothing but a normal bathroom mirror. Shura looked just about ready to chew her out when suddenly cold, hollow laughter filled the room.

" _This vessel is mine!"_ the vaguely feminine voice declared.

Then eight, pitch black tentacles erupted from the glass surface and surged out to grab Shiemi. Successful in their mission, the tentacles wrapped themselves around the terrified girl and started dragging her across the bathroom, back to the mirror.

Quick thinking, Shura retrieved her sword from the seal in her stomach and attempted to hack at the black limbs. The rest of the class barged in and beheld the horrible sight.

Yukio sprang into action and detonated a holy water grenade, quickly grabbing his brother's wrist and leaving with him to take cover from the blast. Shiemi screamed her lungs out as she was being pulled halfway through the mirror.

Shura continued her futile efforts to free the girl and the grenade exploded with nuclear force, knocking everyone to their feet. This, however, only slowed the black tentacles and the cruel laughter continued.

" _You pathetic excuses for exorcists! You don't even know how to fight me!"_ the voice cackled.

In the back by the tub, Neko was muttering what could've only been assumed as some kind of hex or spell. Whatever she was doing didn't seem to have any effect on the evil creature in the mirror.

Shura regained her footing and shouted, "This isn't any demon I've heard about! Anyone know what the hell this thing is?"

Surprisingly, the witch of the class replied, "It's not a demon! It's a—"

Suddenly a tentacle lashed out and knocked Neko down, interrupted her. The witch wiped the blood from her cheek and snarled. Clearly pissed off now, Neko pulled herself up and made a strange two-fingered gesture with her right hand.

She took a deep breath and yelled, " _Shi F'er Ra!_ "

Shortly after, fissures and cracks snaked across the glass of the mirror and the tentacles slackened. Green light poured out the fissures and the glass started shaking. The tentacles released Shiemi and the mirror exploded into tiny fragments.

Neko fell to the floor unconscious as the voice of the mirror rang through the room once again.

" _NOOO! My vessel! You horrible witch! You will burn at the STAKE for your interference! I shall have my revenge!"_

The voice faded to nothing and all was silent.

The Okumura twins reentered the bathroom and Rin asked the dumb question, "What the hell _was_ that thing?"

Shiemi was still shaken from the whole ordeal; she slid down to the floor and sat there, shivering. Neko had been about to tell them what it was, but the witch was currently snoozing on the bloody tiles next to her.

Something told Shiemi that Neko would be out for a while.

"Well, whatever it was, I'm glad we had Neko with us." Shura voiced everyone's thoughts.

The rest of the class nodded in agreement, save for Neko and Shima, who had passed out from pure terror. Konekomaru and Bon were at his side, the older teen uselessly trying to slap him awake.

o.O.0.O.o

 **Whew. Glad I got rid of that plot bunny. It was kind of evil. Now, I know I said last chapter that I'd add some funny stuff in but I didn't see any good opportunities. They were on a mission and to me that gives it a sort of serious aura. Sorry about that. I'm definitely going to try to squeeze in some humor next chapter. I've got a nice brown-spotted plot bunny lined up and ready. Emphasis on brown. XD**

 **Oh by the way, in case you were wondering, I tried to make the mirror monster seem like a possessing spirit, but I realized it was a bit too nasty to be something as simple as that. I'll leave it up to you to decide what it is. And yeah, I hope this chapter didn't give anyone nightmares!**

 **That's all, I think. My hands are cramping up from writing so I'll just wrap it up now.**

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	3. Chapter 3

Colors of Fire Ch. 3

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **Hello to those of you who've kept up with the first two boring chapters! I must apologize for that. The plot bunnies for those ones somehow managed to get loose and run off before I could finish them. But not to worry! I've got thicker leashes now! So all is well.**

 **I've been planning to use these cute little critters for a while. Now that I've got a proper story gap, I can use them! Yay!**

 **This chapter I'll be making a special effort towards making you laugh.**

 **Rin: Ha, ha, ha… GET ON WITH IT!**

 **I could just slap you right now. Before I change my mind, GET OUT OF MY OFFICE! YOU'RE DISTRACTING ME!**

 **Rin: *Stalks out of the office grumbling something about crazy writers***

 **Hmph. Now then, ON WITH THE SHOW!**

o.O.0.O.o

Neko's POV

"AAAAAWWWW! IT'S SO ADORABLE!"

She clutched the tiny little thing closer to her, admiring its sheer cuteness. It was so _small_ ; it looked like a tiny floating cat! And with those huge, frightened green eyes…

No doubt coal tars were the most adorable demons on the planet.

Neko looked up to find everyone staring at her, even the teacher, with looks of confusion, annoyance, and flat out surprise. She shrank back into her seat, just now realizing that she'd said her little outburst out loud.

Oops.

It didn't matter much anyway; most of the students shook it off and returned their attention to the front. The teacher was shaking his head in a _What am I going to do with her?_ manner.

Sighing, she released the coal tar and began doodling in her journal again. Only now Neko was sketching the likeness of the creature she had so suddenly grown fond of. She stole a glance at it, still hovering above her desk, too traumatized to do much but float there motionlessly.

She held back a chuckle and quickly finished the small portrait.

After completing the last of the sketch, the witch shut the notebook and focused on the lesson at the front of the class.

"… and when broken the circle loses its power, unless it's drawn in demon's blood on parchment from the holy scripture…"

"Wrong." Neko shouted casually.

The entire class froze at her sudden comment. Izumo muttered, "Here we go again…" Rin and Shiemi cringed, being the two closest to the teacher. Bon just stared at her like, _Seriously? At it again?_

Even Konekomaru was shaking his head, desperately encouraging her to stop.

A vein in the teacher's forehead pulsed as he turned to Neko. "And would you like to _correct_ me, Miss Shen? Perhaps you'd like to swap places with me and teach this class."

Bon winced, knowing the answer that was coming. Izumo facepalmed and sighed.

The witch grinned easily. "That doesn't sound half bad. But anyway: If the circle is drawn in demon's blood on _any_ ancient text, it would work just fine. It doesn't have to be specific to scripture from one, single religion."

Shima sat up at hearing that, suddenly interested. Rin stared at her in awe.

The instructor's face turned beat red, and he looked like he was about to explode, but Neko pressed on. "And, truthfully, it doesn't even _have_ to be demon's blood. It could be ichor from an immortal spirit, or even your _own_ blood if you're a witch like me."

Izumo lifted her head and mumbled, "Really? After all this time I could've just…" Then she looked around the room, searching to make sure no one heard that. Only Rin and Neko heard it, but she took a small breath of relief and relaxed back into her seat.

The instructor took three long, deep breaths to calm himself, then opened his mouth to say something when suddenly a poof of pink interrupted him.

Mephisto emerged from the quickly clearing haze, posing in an extravagant manner as if to say, _I'm here now! Everyone look at me and my amazingness!_

"Hello, Mr. Perish!" the clown greeted cheerfully. "A little birdy told me there was to be a potential wager here! Is this true, my good sir?"

The nervous instructor sweat dropped, but, defeated, nodded. "I-I proposed to switch places with Miss Shen, s-seeing as how often she corrects me in my class."

Mephisto whistled. "Ho-ho-hoo! Interesting indeed! Very well, if both parties agreed to the arrangements… you did agree, didn't you Miss Shen?"

Defying the obvious disapproving looks from her fellow class mates she replied, "Yes, I very much agreed."

The clown grinned manically and clapped his hands together. "That settles it! Miss Shen will now be the new instructor for the Cram School's magic circles and seals class!"

The purple haired demon turned to the ever-reddening teacher. "You'll be expected to attend all of Miss Shen's classes, seeing as how she can no longer attend them herself."

The teacher just nodded numbly and mumbled, "Yes, sir."

Mephisto smiled. "There's a good man! Now, I shall be off now! I do hope you enjoy your new arrangements!"

With that, the clown counted down from three in German and disappeared in another puff of pink.

Just then the bell rang, signifying the dismissal of all Cram School classes for the day.

Neko flashed a grin at the teach- no, _student_ as she walked out the door. He merely sank into his chair with a look that said, _What the hell just happened?_ The witch laughed down the hall, swarmed by the other students of her class, all of them telling her just how crazy she was.

She had long since knew that fact, but she liked being crazy. Somehow, it always managed to turn out in her favor.

o.O.0.O.o

Bon's POV

He couldn't believe what had just happened. Bon knew the witch was crazy, but not _that_ crazy. Bon sure as hell wouldn't swap places with a teacher, even _if_ they didn't know what the hell they were talking about.

Bon actually felt kind of sorry for Mr. Parish. He was humiliated multiple times by the same student, only later to have been _replaced_ by said student.

At first it was just annoying. But later, as Bon realized something, he began to worry. Having Neko as a teacher was going to be interesting, but whatever she was prepared to teach them had nothing to do with the way exorcists know the subject. She was a witch, who's expertize in circles and seals revolved around magical methods, not based on logic. Normal exorcists didn't have her type of blood, her teachings wouldn't even apply to any of the students.

Bon could only hope, for the sake of his and everyone else's education, that this little "arrangement" would be called off soon.

The rooster-haired teen, followed by his close friends, returned to his dorm and cracked open the textbook Mr. Parish had issued the students, in hopes of learning the material that they _wouldn't_ learn in class.

o.O.0.O.o

"C'mon, Bon!" Shima complained. "We've been studying for _hours_! My head's going to explode if I read another word!"

Bon merely scoffed and said, "I'm not going to let you fail, Shima! Just because that bitch took over circles and seals doesn't mean we're going to miss out on our _proper_ education. Now get reading! Who knows how long that witch is gonna to be in charge?"

Koneko pushed his glasses further up his nose. "Bon's right, Shima. We don't know the material that Neko will be teaching us, so we have to study up on the right subject while Mr. Parish is gone."

Shima fell to the floor dramatically. "Koneko! You don't always have to take his side! And besides, Mr. Parish won't be _gone_ , he'll be right there in the classroom with us."

"Tch!" Bon hissed. "As a student. Don't you remember?"

Bon turned back to the textbook and began engrossing himself into the passages once more, completely shutting out the outside world.

Shima pulled himself to his feet and sighed. "Whatever, I'm taking a break then."

The pink-haired exwire exited the small dorm room, but in a matter of seconds, a scream resonated from the hallway. Bon's frightened friend came running back to the room, hiding behind his rooster-haired friend and using him as a human shield.

"The hell's wrong with you?!" the teen exclaimed.

The shaking teen behind him was breathing heavily and desperately trying to form words, "Sp- sp… der—"

"Shima, we can't understand you," Koneko whispered. "What happened?"

"SPIDER!"

Bon extracted his face from the book and glanced behind him at the shaking monk. "Are you freakin' KIDDING me? Are you serious right now?"

Konekomaru sighed and got up to inspect the hallway while Bon merely abandoned his ridiculous friend for a quiet corner of the room where his bed was. The rooster-haired teen buried his face in the textbook once more and ignored the shrieks of protest coming from the other side of the room.

"Don't leave me all ALONE! BON!"

o.O.0.O.o

Yukio's POV

Yukio had just finished combing through the tuft at the end of his tail when his brother knocked on the door.

"C'mon, four-eyes! You're taking forever in there!" Rin shouted from outside. Patience wearing thin, he swung the door open and stepped inside regardless if his twin was finished or not.

"Nii-san!" the young teacher yelled. "How many times do I have to tell you NOT to barge in like that! What if I was fresh out the shower?"

"Oh please," Rin waved the scenario aside. "It's not like we're _strangers_ or anything, Yukio! I grew up with you, remember? Not like I haven't seen you naked before."

Yukio's face visibly reddened. "I was talking about Neko! What if she just _happened_ to walk by and see me because _you_ decided come in here unannounced? Or even you for that matter, what if I went around doing the same thing to you? We have a girl in the dorm now, we can't just fling open the bathroom door!"

Rin turned crimson. "O-oh… oops."

It was only then that Yukio noticed what his twin was carrying: a blue towel, a bar of soap, and a bottle of pet shampoo.

"I see you finally took my advice." Yukio stated smugly, swaying his brown-furred tail behind him.

The eldest twin gave him a sour look and turned his nose up. "Yeah, whatever… Not like I _asked_ for a tail ya know. And hey, same with you! This was your idea, remember! Now you gotta take your own advice!"

Yukio adjusted his glasses. "I plan on it, don't worry. I'm done with all those painful tangles too. I just hope pet shampoo is going to work, last time we tried something new…"

Both boys shuddered at the unpleasant memory.

The blue-haired teen started getting ready for his shower, and the brunette ducked out of the bathroom, heading towards their room to get ready for the day.

o.O.0.O.o

Izumo's POV

Izumo was walking down the sidewalk in town, thinking about the day's events. The small lecture Neko had given the class was still ringing in her head.

"… _or even your own blood if you're a witch like me…"_

Izumo hadn't known all this time that she could've been using her _own_ blood to strengthen her summoning circles. The purple-haired Tamer had mixed blood running through her veins.

She was, above all, the descendant of a shrine maiden. However, she also possessed demon heritage, and even a small portion of magical blood on her mother's side. One of her great-great-great-whatever ancestors was a woman that was tried and condemned as a witch, burned at the stake.

Izumo had a lot of thin blood ties, though not too thin. She had still been able to perform small bits of magic in her childhood. She remembered playing outside the shrine, a game of hide and seek with a "ghost" before she knew just how dangerous the monsters were.

" _I'll find you! You can't hide from me forever!" the small girl giggled as she searched behind a tree for the mischievous green-and-red creature._

 _The girl peeked behind the bark to find nothing._

 _She stomped her foot, completely stumped, and sank to the ground pouting. She brushed her fingers through the blades of grass absently, waiting for the little creature to show itself again._

 _Suddenly the motion of her fingers twirling through the grass conducted a small light. The girl stared down at it in wonder, her eyes shining with the bright fluid-like substance she was stirring up._

 _She swirled her fingers faster and the fluid-like light turned with it. The small girl guided her fingers back and forth. The column of light followed the movement, twisting and turning like a miniature snake._

 _The girl noticed the snake like resemblance and just then the floating fluid seemed to respond to her thoughts: It reshaped itself to look like a small Chinese dragon and blew a harmless stream of fire._

 _Little Izumo clapped with joy at its performance, thoroughly amazed by the creature she had just seemingly created. The monkey-like green and red creature crawled over to her and stared in amazement at the spectral in front of them._

Izumo smiled at the memory as she paced down the path, passing strangers on her route. She wasn't even sure if her small abilities in magic would enhance her blood enough to make a stronger circle, but it was definitely worth a try.

o.O.0.O.o

The purple-haired exwire turned down into an alleyway. It was a shortcut she always used on her way back to the dorm. She wasn't even halfway through when suddenly she was knocked down by a wall of black.

"Get off!" were Izumo's muffled cries as the mass of black fur threatened to suffocate her.

She could just barely make out a worried voice from above her.

"Wait girl," said the voice of a teen. "You're not sitting on anyone are ya?"

Izumo attempted to scream in response, saying that, yes indeed, this thing was sitting on her! Above her, the expanse of black fur shifted and lifted off of her. Izumo sat up quickly and brushed herself off.

"S-sorry 'bout that." the worried teen apologized.

"Yeah, well maybe—" Izumo's insult died in her throat as she turned and looked up at the boy.

Sea green eyes, black hair, a sideways trouble-maker smile. Tanned muscles with a Knight's build, shouldering a back pack. He looked around seventeen. Being this close to him, Izumo noticed something: he smelled like the sea. Not in a bad way, either.

Then the purple-haired girl realized he'd extended his hand to help her up.

Blushing slightly, she took the hand and the surprisingly strong teen lifted her to her feet with ease. She mumbled a small "Thanks.." Then she looked over to the thing that was previously crushing her.

Izumo would have done a spit-take under the right circumstances.

It was a giant dog! The size of a garbage truck! It looked like a black mastiff on triple steroids. One off-putting feature was that underneath all the folds of skin around its face was a pair of red, glowing eyes.

Izumo's expression must have been priceless, because the guy laughed.

"Don't worry about her," he chuckled easily. "She ain't gonna hurt ya. Unless, of course, you're a monster of some kind."

Izumo decided to take the comment as a joke. "Wh- how did she get so _big_?"

Suddenly the guy's smile melted, replaced with a look of seriousness and a vague hint of fear. Then his expression cleared and he asked, "Wait, you can see how big she is?"

The young Tamer crossed her arms. "Of course I can see how big she is! A dog the size of a garbage truck is kinda hard to miss, wouldn't ya say?"

The confused expression returned and he dug in his pocket. He brought out a small object and seemed to have removed something from it. He showed it to her.

"What am I holding?" he asked with a serious tone.

"Um, a pen?"

If it was possible, he looked even more perplexed. Then his features cleared again and he shrugged. "Oh well, sorry about my dog almost crushing you. I better get back to the airport before my girlfriend makes me read the Japanese-English dictionary again. See ya!"

With that he called his dog and exited the alley, leaving Izumo wondering just what kind of book-crazy girlfriend he had. A small pang in her stomach erupted when she realized something: she was disappointed that the guy had a girlfriend.

Could one blame her? The dude was _extremely_ attractive, in his own annoying way. Izumo wouldn't disagree if someone told her he was, like, half _god_ or something.

The guy looked young, but his face held an undertone of something almost… older.

o.O.0.O.o

 **Whew! Finally finished! I personally love this chapter! You get to see a little bit more in depth of Neko's attitude issues, along with a friendly bet conducted by our favorite clown! Shima got frightened by a spider! Yay! Although I feel kinda bad for the spider. Shima's scream probably scared it half to death. I felt as though Rin and Yukio's tails needed a little spot light. Let's face it: we love the tails. They're likely the most interesting part of the entire anime/manga.**

 **Oh and by the way, if you got the reference from Izumo's little encounter, kudos to you! Always cool when you come across a fellow demigod, right?**

 **So yeah, I think that about wraps it up. Until next time…**

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	4. Chapter 4

Colors of Fire Ch. 4

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **I'm baaaaack! Heh, I just had to say that at** _ **least**_ **once.**

 **Anywho, this chapter marks the start of a small story arc. I've got a feeling that most of you will like it, considering there are few, if not none, of this type of story. I've searched everywhere and I can't seem to find one. So I'm making one myself! Hell, I might even write a separate story for the idea.**

 **XD As of now you have no idea what I'm talking about. I find that funny. But don't worry! When the timing is right perhaps I'll tell you, or you might even figure it out before I get the chance. Who knows? You'll know!**

 **Rin: Will you shut up and just write the damn story.**

 **Okay Mister Rude, how about I shove you in the closet and call it a day?**

 **Rin: You wouldn't** _ **dare**_ **!**

 **Oh yes I would. We'll continue this later.**

 **On with the show!**

o.O.0.O.o

Neko's POV

It was the start of something big. She could tell just by looking at the data. Seeing those numbers at first shocked her to the core, but later she realized just what they meant: the secret to replicating DNA.

It wasn't something a witch, or even a scientist, would just _come across_ on any given day.

Neko had successfully taken the DNA from a white rat, fabricated the genetic code _inside_ a black rat, causing the black rat to morph completely into a perfect replica of the white one. All the way down the last chromosome! Only, with her experiment, she had used a mixture of science _and_ magic to achieve her results. Using magic to copy the DNA while still following the principal of scientific logic.

Magic in itself was a form of science. It was basically using spiritual energy from your own mind, body, and soul to complete a task that would otherwise be impossible. What made witches so special was that they were humans born being able to _consciously_ use this energy.

The energy in a regular human being would be directed towards the brain and its fluid functions. Most of the energy remained dormant for the entire life cycle of the being, but witches were able to tap into this energy. It's what made Neko such a scientist. The theories and facts of how magic worked intrigued her, giving her a curious nature.

Neko enjoyed figuring things out, finding answers, coming up with theories and testing them. Honestly, the drive and ambition for new discoveries was what often led to the cliché of "mad scientist".

The witch examined the data and the rats in front of her carefully, inspecting every aspect for any flaws. She literally couldn't tell the rats apart. They looked _identical_.

The subjects she'd used were both female rats. Neko began making theories and hypothesizes on the possible results she could get testing with subjects of different genders. What would happen if she tried to replicate a female rat using a male rat? Or vice-versa? What about two male subjects?

Neko dropped in some feed for the night and closed the cage, locking it. She would have to come back tomorrow to check up on them. What if the results had some kind of time limit? She had to study the first test subjects before she moved on to another experiment. Gathering her equipment and stuffing it in her bag, she headed for the roof's exit and left the rats in the incubator.

Neko didn't bother hiding her excitement during breakfast that morning, but when Yukio asked her about it she merely shook her head and said, "Just an experiment. If it works out I'll tell you about it."

The young teacher shrugged and continued eating his meal. Rin was wolfing down his breakfast, too distracted to notice the small conversation next to him.

o.O.0.O.o

Rin's POV

Rin stepped into the cool night air, breathing in the breeze. He would often come up to the roof since he came to True Cross. From there he could see some of the city scape sprawled out with a few farm fields here and there.

The view was cool, but that wasn't the reason he came up there. The bluenette would come there to let off steam when he was stressed or needed a break. Sometimes he and Kuro would come up to spar. But most often he came there just because.

Apparently, he wasn't the only one.

Just as he approached one of the chimneys, he could just barely make out a shape sitting on the edge. It looked like a human, but Rin couldn't be sure. He retrieved his sword from his bag and gripped the sheath tightly. Cautiously, his silent steps took him closer and closer to the shadowy figure. Then suddenly it turned around.

"I can sense you." stated a familiar voice. A smile was audible. "Don't be shy, I won't hurt ya."

A chill went up his spine. Then Rin realized something: when the voice spoke it was thick with an English accent. Not old English, either… an American accent.

"Neko?" Rin asked hesitantly.

"Rin?" the feminine voice asked back.

The figure stood and dusted herself off. Then a small ball of purple flames erupted in the palm of her hand. The resulting glow illuminated the chimera's grinning face.

"Well, well… Never thought I'd catch you up here. Can't sleep?"

Rin grinned uneasily; a little weary about how creepy the raven chimera looked in the flickering dim light. "Guess you could say that."

Neko noticed his tone and frowned slightly. "Something bothering you?"

"Na. It's just… I didn't expect to have company up here."

He laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head, sitting cross-legged along the edge of the roof. She took a seat next to him.

"Yeah." she whispered softly, as if thinking. "I wasn't expecting anyone either. I usually only come up here at night. Mostly to check up on my experiments, but sometimes I find the time to fly."

Rin furrowed his brow, not understanding that last part. "Uhh… you mean time flies up here?"

She raised an eyebrow, thoroughly confused. "Huh?"

"What?"

"What, what?"

"Umm…"

Then they both laughed.

"So you do experiments up here?" Rin ventured. "They're not dangerous, right? Not gonna blow up the building or anything?"

The chimera snorted. "I ain't guaranteeing anything, but I _do_ make an effort _not_ to do that, yes. Lately I've just figured out a way to copy DNA and implement it in another, similar being. Wanna see?"

Rin's eyes widened. "You experiment with _living_ things?"

Neko rolled her eyes. "Of course, dumbass. How else would science or magic move forward if we didn't test out theories on live subjects? And chill, they're just rats."

The bluenette visibly calmed down. "Oh."

The witch laughed. Then she stood and took his hand. "C'mon, I'll show ya."

"O-oh, okay…"

The black-haired girl led him across the roof, reaching the back of a chimney where laid a small incubator for the rats. The furry rodents were contently sniffing around their environment, occasionally bumping into each other.

They looked exactly the same.

Neko smiled proudly at her work. "One of those rats was once black. Even I can't tell them apart now. Cool, huh?"

"I guess so. Say, what's the point of doing that anyway? Isn't it good to be different?"

"Hmm… Never really thought of a reason. I didn't go _looking_ for a way to do it, you see. I kinda just… stumbled upon the results."

Rin nodded. Then he shoved his hands in his pockets and said, "So what now? What do you plan on doing with the rats?"

Neko tapped her chin, thinking. "I'm not sure. I guess I'll just move on to another set of test subjects. See if using different genders would work the same way."

The bluenette frowned, a little off-put by the idea. "That sounds a bit revolting. That probably won't work. I mean, if you're talking science, but magic I have no idea."

"Magic would work, no doubt, but I've been trying to _mix_ magic and science. It's turned out better than I thought it was going to be. In a way, science and magic are the same, but they work on different levels of effort."

"Effort?" Rin inquired, completely lost.

"Yeah." Neko answered thoughtfully. "Magic is basically using your own spiritual energy to complete a task. That's why witches can use magic, you see. We're born being able to use that energy. In most humans it remains dormant for their entire lives."

"Huh. What about me? I'm not entirely human. You think _I_ can clean my room with the flick of a wand?"

Neko laughed. "That's not how magic works, Rin. But for all I know you might. Demons _do_ tend to inherit the ability."

The bluenette studied his hand for a second, then shrugged and dropped it back to his side. Then he sighed.

"Well, I'm off to bed now…" he yawned and stretched. "G'night."

"Night."

With that, he left the chimera to study her rats.

o.O.0.O.o

Yukio's POV

He was striding down the hall, carrying a particularly heavy load of boxes. He was taking them to the room next to his and his sibling's dorm room, a room they used for storage. In the boxes was a collection of text books Yukio had prepared for Rin, when he was ready to get crackin' on studying for the Exorcist Authorization Exam. The Vatican was still pushing that, even though the two siblings had practically saved True Cross.

The whole thing was irritating, and Yukio couldn't get his brother to realize the big picture. If Rin failed that exam the Knights of True Cross would execute him. And even though Yukio was now technically a demon too, that didn't bother them one bit, but they were still untrusting toward his older brother.

Reaching the room, the young teacher pushed the door open with his foot. With a satisfying _thump_ the boxes were set on the floor, next to the ten others that lay in neat stacks against the wall. Wiping the sweat from his brow, Yukio turned around heading towards the door. As he passed the doorway, he took hold of the door knob, and swung the door to close it, unaware that a particularly sensitive part of him was still in the room.

 _Thwack!_

Yukio let out a strangled scream and it rippled through the empty halls of the abandoned dorm. Horrible, agonizing pain shot bolts of electricity up and down his spine. Violent waves overlapped his injured tail, an ocean of relentless tides crashing onto it in a never ending pattern. Yukio's head swam and his vision dimmed. Before he knew it, he was on all fours, teeth clenched. He was desperately trying to avoid passing out from the pain. He heard a strange noise with his half-deaf hearing.

It was him. Quick gasps and ragged breathing.

After a few minutes, the pain dulled and his body went numb. He sat down on the floor, not caring if anyone found him there, only concerned with recovering from the nasty panic attack. The young half demon had no idea the limb was so sensitive. Sure it was covered in basic demonology, but seriously. Slamming your hand or finger in a door was painful, yes, but _that_ was nothing like Yukio had ever experienced before.

He was still shaking slightly when he heard Rin bolting down the hall, shouting his name. Yukio wasn't sure if he trusted himself to speak without stumbling over his words. So he kept quiet as he waited for Rin to find him.

"Yukio! Where are you? What happened?"

Then his older twin spotted him and closed the distance. Yukio's concerned sibling knelt down next to him, noticing his shaking.

"Yukio," Rin repeated, "What happened?"

"S-slammed my tail in the door." the younger twin replied. "N-nothing to worry about."

Rin's face contorted into a look of pained sympathy. "Oh, wow. Yeah that sucks, I know."

The bluenette offered his hand to pull his brother up. Yukio took it gratefully.

o.O.0.O.o

 **Yay! All done! I'm very happy with this chapter. Got the mini arc started and some brotherly fluff. So yeah, did anyone figure out what's going to happen to Rin yet? Unless you're a genius or psychic, I very much doubt it. I feel kind of bad, putting Rin through this torture. It's going to be a massive blow to his pride.**

 **By the way, in case you were wondering, yes those are symptoms to panic attacks. At least, those are usually** _ **my**_ **symptoms. Everyone's different, with different triggers and such. Mine in particular is when I accidentally hurt myself, or when I'm extremely stressed over my physical wellbeing, like when I'm sick. I've recently had a passing out episode and it was not fun. Had to go to the hospital, got an IV stuck in my arm, waited six hours to for the tests results to come back, only to find out nothing was wrong with me.**

 **And on a much less serious note… *unlocks the closet door***

 **Rin: Freedom! *runs away***

 **Ahem. Anywho, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! That about covers it for now, so until next time!**

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	5. Chapter 5

Colors of Fire Ch. 5

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **Plot bunnies have overrun my thought garden! They're eating all my plants! It's a full on invasion and I'm drowning in them! I am struggling to catch them all. I don't have enough leashes! This is a major catastrophe!**

 **Anywho, I managed to tie down a particularly evil plot bunny. It has big, scary plans. I'm not sure whether to run away screaming or join it in sitting down and having a cup of tea with Satan. The three of us laughing as we watch our torture subjects cry in agony.**

 **Yeah… This plot bunny is very persuasive. Forgive me if I cave and let the bunny take over the chapter. The plot bunny might write this one for me.**

 **Please save me…**

 **Plot bunny: Let's move this along, shall we?**

 **Satan: I couldn't agree more. *evil laugh***

o.O.0.O.o

Shiemi's POV

It took a long time to get used to mirrors again.

After the horrible incident at the hotel, Shiemi became terrified of mirrors. She locked all of her hand mirrors in a box and shoved it under her bed. She tried to refrain from using the bathroom, lest she encounter the large mirror on the wall. It was a nightmare having to go to the bathroom. Sometimes she wished she was a vampire or something— just so she wouldn't need to go anymore. As one might imagine, her bladder was starting to take some damage.

Her mother noticed.

"Shiemi dear, what's gotten into you!" she demanded one day, "Why won't you set foot in the bathroom? Is there something wrong?"

Shiemi shifted her weight from foot to foot, nervous. "I-it's nothing, mom…"

Her mother wouldn't take no for an answer. "That's not an answer, Shiemi. This is taking a toll on your health! You are not going to hide things like this from me, missy! Not after what happened last time. You're going to tell me what's wrong _right now_ or so help me I'll ground you for a month!"

That got the blonde's attention. "But mom! You can't—"

"Oh yes I can! Tell me _now_ Shiemi!"

The girl's face turned pale. If she didn't tell her mother she wouldn't be able to go anywhere, stuck in the house with that— that evil _thing_ on the bathroom wall. Shiemi didn't want to tell her mother about the mission. She didn't want to bother anyone about her problems. She wanted to be strong enough to handle it on her own.

But… After what had happened at the hotel, Shiemi wasn't sure if she could keep it in much longer. The only person she even considered talking to was Neko. The witch of the class knew what that thing was. But even talking to Neko would make her seem weak and helpless. At least, in her mind.

The look her mother was giving her now was comparable to an angry tiger, ready to eat the small creature in front of it if it proved useless to her.

Shiemi swallowed and straightened. "It's the mirror."

Her mother's angry expression cleared, replacing itself with a cross between confusion and surprise. "The mirror? What's wrong with the mirror?"

Shiemi's cheeks burned. "Mom… Something happened on our last mission."

Her mother sat on the bed next to her daughter. "Tell me everything. Don't even think about leaving anything out!"

And so she did. She replayed her memory as she spoke, recalling the details of the tentacles, the voice, and how no one could stop it. No one but Neko. Her mother's face changed various times as her daughter spoke. Shock, horror, anger, and then something like sympathy.

"If it'll help at all, I'll take down the bathroom mirror." her mother said.

The girl brightened with relief. "Really, mom?"

The brown-haired woman smiled. "Yes. But keep in mind you'll eventually have to let it go. I can't take away all the mirrors in the world, you know."

"Oh course, mom! Thank you!"

The blonde then hugged her mother, surprising the woman. Her mother recovered quickly and hugged her daughter back.

o.O.0.O.o

Paku's POV

"Hello?" the brunette asked as she picked up the phone.

"Paku! You picked up!" said Izumo from the other line.

Paku smiled at hearing her friend's voice. "Yeah, sorry. I've been a bit busy lately. So what's up?"

She shifted the phone onto her shoulder so both her hands could resume braiding small yarn pieces into a web.

"Do you remember when I called you a couple days ago? When I told you about the guy I met in the alley?"

"Yeah," Paku laughed a little. "You were gushing about how _hot_ he was. How could I forget?"

Izumo sounded a bit flustered, but nonetheless the pressed on. "Yeah, well… whatever. So anyway, I read up a little bit on the dog he had with him. I didn't find very much. The closest thing I came to it was something from an old mythology legend."

"Oh? Really?" Paku raised her eyebrow, interested.

"Mhmm." Izumo replied. "Something about the Canines of the Underworld. Hellhounds."

"T-the Underworld? You mean, like, the big "U" kind of Underworld?"

"Yes." she answered nervously. "Paku, I don't think that guy was human. He was talking about monsters, and he showed me a pen like he expected me to see something else."

"Izumo," Paku ventured carefully. "You know how most people don't even believe in Gehenna or demons?"

"Y-yeah… What are you getting at?" her voice cracked with fear.

Paku, scared now, shook her head and tried to remain calm. "Listen, Izumo, just forget what you saw. That guy looked half-god probably because he _was_. If you're saying that his dog was a hellhound, he's from an entirely different realm of belief altogether. I suggest you don't look into it any further."

The other end was silent for a while. Then suddenly Izumo said, "Alright."

The phone line went dead.

Paku sighed and hung up. She knew Izumo better than anyone. If the girl was on the trail on something, one could bet a heavy wager that she'd find it. Izumo wasn't the type to just drop a subject and move on. Paku knew that her friend would disregard her warning and press forward anyway. The brunette mentally braced herself for the catastrophe that would surely follow this discovery.

o.O.0.O.o

Koneko's POV

He was at the local pet store, when it happened. Koneko often volunteered to help take care of the animals there. The clerks and the manager knew him well and welcomed him warmly every time he entered the store. He was currently carrying boxes of supplies when suddenly he crashed into someone, and both of them fell to the floor in a heap.

"Owww…" whined a feminine voice.

"S-sorry, miss! This is all my fault… I should've been watching—"

The blonde girl laughed as she sat up. "No, it was my fault. I wasn't paying attention."

She stood up and brushed herself off, closing the book she was reading and stuffing it in her bag. She had long curly hair that framed her face. Her startling grey eyes reminded Koneko of storm clouds.

She offered him a hand.

Koneko readjusted his glasses and took it with a small smile. "Um, yeah… sorry about this."

He bent down the pick up the boxes he'd dropped. The blonde girl aided him and grinned. "You're almost as clumsy as Grover. He would've gotten a real kick out of this."

"Grover?" Koneko raised an eyebrow.

The blonde smiled as if remembering a distant memory. She gathered the boxes in her arms and restacked them. Then she looked around at the signs in the store, frowning slightly.

"Ya know… How do people read those weird symbols anyway?" she asked, changing the subject.

"You mean Japanese?"

"Yeah. I know a dozen languages, even Ancient Greek and Latin. But Japanese characters still puzzle me. It's funny, really."

Koneko shifted his weight, cheeks burning slightly. "Well, what are you looking for? I can help you find it. I know the store pretty well."

The blonde smiled gently, but something in her face looked off. Koneko couldn't place it. She looked young— maybe seventeen. But her face held an undertone of something… older.

"I'm not really here for the store itself," she explained. "I'm actually here to meet someone. She's an exorcist, Ms. Kitty-something-or-other."

Koneko was taken aback by the response. A traveler meeting a Knight instructor? This seemed a bit fishy.

"Ms. Kirigakure?" he asked cautiously.

Her face brightened. "You know her? Red hair, rude, improper dress?"

Koneko swallowed nervously. "Yeah, she lives around here. I've seen her in the store a couple of times."

It was half of a lie, but he still didn't like doing it.

"Interesting. I'd never peg her as an animal person."

Koneko laughed a little, taking the edge off. "Yeah, she has a couple of pet snakes."

The blonde's stormy eyes widened. "S-snakes, huh?"

Luckily or unluckily Shima's Knight instructor chose that moment to mosey over and rudely interrupt the conversation.

"Hey, there you are!" said the red-headed woman, grinning as she closed the distance.

"Well, we best be off now." said the blonde girl. "It was nice meeting you."

She stuck her hand out to him for a shake. He complied. Then the two promptly exited the store.

o.O.0.O.o

Shura's POV

She'd only just met the girl and she was already pickin' up some pretty serious vibes from her. Apparently, the blonde was here to study the ways of exorcism, but wasn't enrolling in the school. Sir Pheles had suggested a condensed study session. How this girl was going to pull it off, Shura had no idea.

The girl had obviously practiced Japanese quite a bit before coming there, because her vocab was surprisingly extensive. The only problem was when she tried to read Japanese characters.

"I had a very hard time just reading the signs at the airport." the blonde laughed. "You should've seen my boyfriend, though. He's ten times worse."

The young woman smiled and blushed, noticing that she was getting off topic. "Ahem, right. Sorry. Back to business."

Shura merely sighed and rested her blade across her shoulders, her arms straight out like a scarecrow's. "It's fine, chill out. I was just about to ask you about him anyway. So, why isn't he here with you?"

The girl wasn't fazed by the careless placement of Shura's sword in the slightest. It was as if she saw that kind of casual danger every day. This wasn't surprising considering the reason she came here in the first place.

"He's actually on his way here." the blonde responded. "Knowing him, he's probably lost right now."

She smiled at the thought.

Shura wasn't sure what to make of these kids. They came here willingly to study demons but didn't enroll in the school. Apparently, they were special enough that Mephisto would arrange privet lessons for them at his expense. She did notice earlier that the girl wasn't just an average human. She had a sort of aura about her that just screamed: I'm not normal! That was obvious with the way her stormy gray eyes glinted intelligently. Every glance looked like the girl was calculating how to take the woman down in a fight, searching for weaknesses and combat technique.

Shura understood that look quite well. She saw it every time she looked in the mirror.

Soon they reached the back of the pet store. The woman led the girl outside and shut the door behind them. She stuck a key in the door and turned, getting ready to open it again.

"Umm, didn't we just come from in there?" the blonde asked uncertainly.

Shura smiled. "Yep. Before we enter the training room I'd rather wait until yer boyfriend gets here. He won't be able to follow us after the door closes."

The blonde wore a confused frown, but didn't say anything else. They waited about five minutes until hurried footsteps came down the alley. Only it sounded like three sets of footsteps. There was a teenager running toward them, accompanied by a really, _really_ big dog.

o.O.0.O.o

 **Yay! I was saved from Satan's influence! I'm really happy about that. No more evil plot bunnies for a while. Next up I'll be using this sweet little darling!**

 ***holds up a small brown plot bunny***

 **ISN'T IT ADORABLE! Might even be cuter than the coal tar Neko saw in class.**

 **So anywho, even though the plot bunnies are invading my garden I am grateful that I'm getting plot bunnies at all. I know that it's a problem among writers to be lacking the magnificent little creatures. Fortunately for me, I won't be having that problem for a while. I've managed to tie up quite a few of them.**

 **I even got some plot bunnies for stories that don't involve Blue Exorcist! Oh and since I've officially got two mini arcs going now I think I should probably do this before I go any further in the story:**

 **Additional Disclaimer: I don't own the hot dude with the dog. Or his girlfriend.**

 **Their names will be revealed later. I won't be considering this a crossover, however, because these foreign characters aren't here to stay!**

 **I know, bummer right? But I might eventually make a separate story as a crossover, just for you guys!**

 **Also, I feel I must remind you: By the time you read this I'll have written the entire story already, including the author's notes. Therefore they won't contain any live answers to questions. I'll explain what I feel must be explained, but any specific questions you have you can PM me.**

 **So yeah, that about covers it for now. Until next time!**

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	6. Chapter 6

Colors of Fire Ch. 6

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **Wow. I just looked up timber wolves on Google and damn! Those things are HUGE! I think I picked the right animal for a certain Hybrid. Ahem, n-not that any of you would know what I'm talking about!**

 **So yeah, I'm kind of excited about this chapter here. I decided to save the cute brown plot bunny for later and use a different one. And ya know what? I think Amaimon and our favorite palm tree would totally hit it off. *clears throat* A very vague reference from another fandom…**

 **I am so full of references today!**

 **Amaimon: Yay! I'm finally in the story! Do I get to play with little brother?**

 **Yes. Yes, you do.**

 **Rin: Huh?!**

 **Amaimon: YAAAAYY!**

 **Wait, Amaimon! NOT YET! GET BACK HERE, DAMMIT!**

o.O.0.O.o

Neko's POV

She examined the serum carefully, not quite comprehending what went wrong. The rats she'd just used were two of separate genders: one was a male, brown rat. The other a white colored female. Neko had tried to duplicate the female, but the male rat still retained its brown fur. Only, the male one was no longer a male.

Neko had done her very best to bypass the magic block, but apparently she'd failed. What she saw before her now were two female rats, each a different color. Neko had tried to design the serum to change the cosmetics and _only_ the cosmetics. The result she got was so far away from the desired she had no idea how it ended up that way. She was asking for the exact opposite of what the serum did now.

Neko was now in her room, thoroughly checking her procedure. She'd whipped up another batch of the serum for studying purposes and decided to add one of her own feathers for DNA. She was now examining the dissolving rate. Neko poured the serum into a clear glass for a full view. The chimera studied the reaction, holding the glass in her hand and gently stirring the clear substance by swirling the glass in a clockwise pattern.

After a few minutes, she rechecked her notes. There must have been something she missed in the procedure, an ingredient, administrating timing, just _something_.

 _There!_ she thought.

She had forgotten to heat the substance to the boiling point before adding the raven's DNA, which she so handily had at all times. Completely forgetting the fact that she'd added her _own_ DNA to study the reaction instead of the rat DNA, Neko took the glass with her and headed for the kitchen. Once she'd made it to the kitchen counter, Ukobach greeted her.

 _Back so soon?_ the small demon squeaked. _My, you are very determined to finish your experiment, aren't you?_

The raven chimera laughed, setting the glass down. "Yeah well, the latest one failed. Turned out I forgot to heat the serum before adding the last ingredient. I feel so stupid now."

Ukobach made a chuckling sound. _Well, at least you know what to do this time around._

Neko smiled, leaning against the counter. "Yeah. So, how's the kitchen been? You think it's ready for another one of my culinary experiments yet?"

Before he could answer a huge BOOM shook the building. They could hear a wall crumbling in the distance, and a few screams. The two looked at each other. Ukobach ran into the kitchen for his knives, and Neko took off down the hallway towards the sound.

o.O.0.O.o

Rin's POV

He was relaxing on the roof, minding his own business, when suddenly his "brother" decided to show up.

"Oh RIIIIIN!" sounded a voice from above. "I came to play! I brought a new friend with me!"

The green-haired earth king landed roughly on the roof, nearly crushing Rin. Another figure descended from the sky, landing lighter. Amaimon's "friend" appeared to be a well-muscled young man, long hair reaching down in tapered spikes. At first glance, his hair resembled palm tree leaves. He wore a strange black and red headband, some odd looking black cloths on his hands and feet, a black, unmanly looking crop-top, and an equally unmanly skirt. He had a weird tattoo on his leg, and an evil smirk.

"Well, well," he said in a grating voice. "If it isn't the almighty half-breed! I've waited quite some time to meet you."

"Who the hell are you? What do you want?" Rin growled.

Amaimon merely wore a bored expression. "I thought you said we were going to play with him."

The newcomer grinned. "Oh we'll play with him, don't you worry. I just want to get the ol' meet-and-greet out of the way first."

The earth king pouted but gestured for his friend to continue. He turned back to Rin with interest. "I've heard you were the son of the Devil. Tell me, what exactly separates a demon and a human? You both look pretty human to me."

Then the stranger suddenly changed shape, thoroughly shocking Rin. Who he saw before him was none other than himself. Only his duplicate was wearing an evil grin that looked disturbingly natural on Rin's face.

"What do ya say, _young prince_?" the duplicate said him Rin's voice. "Are you ready to face your inner demons?"

Amaimon's eyes lit up, realizing it was playtime now.

With that, the two lunged at the surprised exwire, Amaimon laughing, the other guy drawing a duplicate of Rin's sword. His didn't have Satan's flames of course, but that didn't make the sword any less deadly.

o.O.0.O.o

Yukio's POV

Yukio was in the middle of grading tests when a huge explosion rocked the building. He heard traces of screaming on the roof and sighed. Quickly, he reached for his guns and belt, then he headed out the door. He reached the roof in time to find a very scary sight: Amaimon, Rin, and another Rin fighting. The duplicate of his brother seemed to be fighting on Amaimon's side, which wasn't good.

"Amaimon!" Yukio shouted sternly, affectively getting the demon's attention. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Yukio had his pistols trained for Amaimon's head. The earth king merely squeee'ed with joy and said, "Yay! More playmates!"

Rin —the flaming one— looking like he was having a hard time holding his ground against his double.

"Will you hold still so I can burn you!" Rin shouted angrily.

The double merely laughed and dodged another column of flames. The flameless Rin went for the kill with Kurikara's copy. The real Rin managed to leap into the air to avoid the blow, then he slammed the butt of his sword into his duplicate's skull, shattering it. Yukio, on the other hand, was busy trying to blow Amaimon's head off, but he was too quick. He couldn't get in a decent shot. Deciding it was worth the risk, Yukio reached for one of the holy water grenades.

Rin crumpled to his knees, exhausted. However, he had only a moment's rest because his flameless twin started to regenerate with red lightning.

"What the hell?!" Rin shrieked as he backed awake from the duplicate.

Amaimon was done dealing with Yukio's antics and decided to join Rin's company. Yukio growled in response and dropped his empty guns. He ran towards Amaimon, demonic claws extended, but lost his focus when an ear-piercing shriek filled the air above them.

Suddenly, something with large black wings landed on the roof, poised for battle, daggers at the ready. It looked like a winged girl. Then Yukio realized something: she looked familiar.

"Stand down, Amaimon!" she said in a very commanding voice.

Amaimon's eyes widened. Then he laughed. "Ha! You think you can scare me with those pretty little daggers of yours?"

Rin's double came over to the scene, grinning at the sight of such and interesting creature. "Wings, huh? Never thought I'd see chimera roaming around here! Tell me, what was your number? When did you escape?"

Suddenly the girl froze. "M-my number? Dude, you are _all_ kinds of crazy if you think I'd _ever_ go on a date with you!"

The duplicate seemed confused by her response. "Huh? No! I didn't mean _that_ kind of number! Your tags! What was your tag number? Ya know, Experiment number…?"

Now it was the girl's turn to look confused. "I wasn't _given_ a tag number, you moron!"

"This is getting boring…" Amaimon complained.

"For once, I agree." Yukio stated, readying his last grenade.

Rin unsheathed his sword again. "Yeah, let's just finish this 'play session' already!"

The duplicate laughed and changed shape again, this time copying the winged girl. "Let's dance!"

The girl and the shape-shifter took to the shy and erupted into a full-on aerial battle. Rin and Yukio prepared themselves for a fight against Amaimon.

o.O.0.O.o

About two hours later, Amaimon and the weird shape-shifter dude decided that they'd had their share of fun for the day. The two demon twins and the raven chimera went back inside, exhausted.

"Mephisto should send us some kind of warning before he lets Amaimon 'play' with us." Rin grumbled, his tail dragging tiredly on the floor.

Yukio merely groaned in agreement, completely spent. He'd eventually recognized the raven chimera to be Neko. Now that he was up close, he could see why she was considered a chimera. Without the seal, she had black feathers covering the back of her neck, down her back, and on her forearms and calves. Her fingernails resembled raven claws, and she had a huge, fourteen foot long wingspan, now folded neatly against her back.

Apparently, she was too exhausted to re-activate her seal, because she spent the rest of the night looking like that.

She'd turned in right around nine o' clock, and Yukio followed suit.

o.O.0.O.o

Rin's POV

Rin wandered into the kitchen later that night, looking for something to eat. Sure he was wiped, but he wasn't going to go to bed hungry. The bluenette searched the fridge for any leftovers that looked appetizing. Currently, Ukobach was nowhere in sight, so Rin snuck an extra glace toward the cake sitting on the shelf, just begging to be eaten.

 _What he doesn't know won't hurt him. Right?_ Rin thought.

Carelessly, shoving aside the unread note placed next to it, Rin grabbed the cake and prepared a slice for himself.

He got the shock of a lifetime when he found out for himself just what that note had warned. The damn cake was spicy as hell! And that statement was pretty spot-on considering it was a demon that made the cake. Steam was coming out of his ears, his face enveloped in red.

 _Water! Must have water!_ Rin thought desperately.

The half demon spotted a glass, innocently sitting on the counter. It was like it was placed there just for him! Rin quickly grabbed it and downed the clear liquid. After the initial spice was quenched, Rin detected something else. Something… strange. Rin set down the empty glass and wiped his mouth.

Whatever he just drank wasn't water.

Suddenly stabbing pain jolted through his body, causing him to fall to the floor. He couldn't even move his limbs or cry out. Waves and waves of pain consumed his entire being. All he could think about was the pain. He was stuck on the floor, shaking and convulsing. Eventually it became too much for Rin's tired consciousness, and everything faded to black.

o.O.0.O.o

 **Mwahahahaha! Cliffhanger!**

 **Well, have you figured it out yet? You'd have to be pretty dumb not to know what's happened to him at this point. I mean, seriously. We all know what was in that glass.**

 **And how could I forget? Our favorite palm tree decided to drop in for a visit! Wasn't that nice of him? So yeah…**

 **Additional Disclaimer: I don't own the palm tree of a shape-shifter.**

 **Envy: I am NOT a palm tree! You're just as bad the pipsqueak!**

 **I wouldn't call him a pipsqueak if I were you. You know you'll have hell to pay later.**

 **Envy: *sighs and crosses arms* Don't I know it…**

 **Anywho, don't worry about next chapter leaving ya hanging. I'll start it with Rin's POV, because we all know you don't care about what the others are doing as of now. I'm nice like that. :)**

 **That wraps it up for now!**

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	7. Chapter 7

Colors of Fire Ch. 7

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **Hello again! Back for more? Great! I'm just as excited as you!**

 **Rin: I'm not!**

 **Well no duh. Of course you're not, Rin.**

 **Rin: Hmph. If you ever put me through something like this again I'll roast you alive.**

 **Rin, you and I both know you've got a lot more torment to go before I'm done with you. SO GET USED TO IT!**

o.O.0.O.o

Rin's POV

She woke up on the cold tiled floor of the kitchen. That she could tell, even before she cracked open an eye. When she did open her eyes she found darkness surrounding her. The lights were off and no sunlight was streaming through the windows yet. It was still night.

She pulled herself up on a sitting position, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Rin felt like she had some kind of hangover. But… something seemed off about it. Not caring to investigate just yet, she hauled herself up off the floor and blearily exited the kitchen. Rin moseyed slowly through the halls, tail dragging limply behind her, occasionally getting snagged on the floor boards.

Her chest felt unusually heavy. Rin dismissed it as being sore from last night's battle and made way for the bathroom.

When the girl finally reached her desired destination she entered, flicked on the light, and turned the water on. Rin blew a pesky strand of hair out of her face and starting washing up. The cool water on her skin felt amazing. Rinsing away all the grime, blood, and dirt. She hadn't known she was so filthy. She would've cleaned up last night if she did. The bluenette grabbed the towel off the rack and dried the water from her face.

Rin removed the towel to stare at her reflection in the mirror. What she saw wasn't _at all_ what she'd been expecting.

"AAAAHHHHH!"

The girl screamed and stumbled away from the mirror. She pressed her back against the wall. That wasn't Rin's reflection! That COULDN'T be real! It had to be another mirror monster! IT HAD TO! But the more she gawked at the image, the less certain she was.

Suddenly she heard faint yelling coming from the halls.

"RIN! WHERE ARE YOU?" Yukio's faraway voice shouted.

Panicking, the bluenette slammed the bathroom door shut and locked it, hoping to whatever deity that bothered to listen that Yukio wouldn't find her. The footsteps and shouts got closer, but the girl was in her own numb world, staring dejectedly at her unchanging reflection. The image moved with her own movements. She waved her fingers, the image did the same. Now that she'd had gotten over the initial shock of it, she took inventory of the new details.

Her hair was considerable longer, reaching down to her hips. Her chin was more petite and angular. Her eyes were softer, her face more delicate. Her shoulders were slimmer, along with the rest of her body.

And there on her chest… that was the moment she'd finally lost it.

Her breathing became labored as the footsteps got closer and closer to the bathroom door, her brother hot on the trail. The once-male teenager slid to the bathroom floor and clutched her head, tears streaming down her face.

 _This isn't happening! This isn't happening! THIS ISN'T HAPPENING!_

The girl desperately clung to the notion of "maybe I'm just dreaming", hoping beyond all rational thought that this was only a nightmare. Her mind was starting to go blank with numbness, her entire frame racked with shivers as she sat there on the bathroom floor. Suddenly the doorknob was shaking, someone on the other side attempting to open it.

"RIN! RIN, ARE YOU IN THERE!"

Having completely lost her mind, Rin shouted in a very feminine voice, "GO AWAY, YUKIO!" not registering that by saying that she only made it harder on herself. Now Yukio knew she was in there.

"Rin! Let me in! I can help you if you just tell me what's wrong!"

"NOT THIS TIME, YUKIO! This… this is different." the frightened, confused girl added the last part with a barely choked back sob.

Tears flowed freely from her eyes yet again and she curled up on the floor, arms around her knees. No way was she letting anyone see her like this.

o.O.0.O.o

Neko's POV

The chimera woke up the next morning to find that her seal had been broken. It was a shaky suspicion last night, but that morning confirmed it: she would be stuck in her true form for a while now. That night she slept on her stomach, avoiding crushing her wings. It hadn't been a pleasant position to fall asleep in, either. The chimera always hated it when that stupid seal broke. It wasn't often, but it was still a pain in the ass to fix.

Neko made her way down to the kitchen to fetch the glass of serum she'd left there last night. The glass was there, but it was empty. Neko mentally scolded herself for leaving something like that out in the open. She hoped Ukobach knew better than to ingest that stuff. He was the most likely candidate to just up and try something without knowing what it was first.

The chimera sighed and rubbed her face. Whatever happened to it was done now, and she could only wait to find out. She hated waiting.

"AAAAHHHH!"

 _Oh shit!_ Neko thought. _That sounded like Rin!_

o.O.0.O.o

Yukio's POV

He was just about ready to kick the door down when Neko showed up. She slid halfway past the hall entrance, unceremoniously, and back-tracked to turn down the hall.

She took a second to regain her breath and stood up straight. "Crap! Rin's in there isn't he?"

Yukio nodded. "He won't let me in! I don't know what to do!"

Neko rolled her eyes. "Well duh, he's not gonna let you in! I know what's happened to him."

The young teacher's eyes widened. "Well, what happened!?"

The raven chimera faced the door and listened to Rin's sobs from inside. "He must've ingested the serum I left out last night. If I'm right, this is bad news: I don't know how to reverse it."

"REVERSE WHAT!?"

Neko shook her head. "The serum was meant to duplicate one creature's cosmetics and implement them into another. But it was a failed batch. It does just the opposite of that with some… unwanted side effects."

Yukio frowned, confused but still angry. "What side effects? Whose cosmetics were you trying to copy?"

"I added my own DNA to that particular batch. And… I think it's best if I let Rin show you the result."

Yukio growled in response but didn't say anything. "Rin, you need to come out of there! I need to see what's happened!"

Momentarily, the sobs were interrupted. But a few seconds later Rin started crying again. Yukio had long since noticed the change in his brother's voice, but passed it off as a sore throat. Now though… he wasn't so sure.

o.O.0.O.o

It took a full three hours for the crying to slow to just a few sniffles here and there. Yukio was beyond pissed that Neko wouldn't tell him what happened, but he waited patiently for Rin to calm down. Yukio was a doctor, and he understood that sometimes people needed to vent their emotions before fully recovering from a shock.

Currently, the raven chimera was in her room, hard at work trying to find a reversal serum. Rin was still sealed in the bathroom, refusing to come out. Yukio didn't understand what horrible "side effect" could cause his steel-hearted brother to lock himself in the bathroom and cry for hours on end. Whatever it was, it was bad. That much the younger twin could tell.

In the three hours that Yukio was leaning against the door, listening to his twin's sobs, he'd developed some pretty disturbing ideas. At first Yukio figured his twin slammed his tail in the door. That was ruled out when Rin had started crying. Rin never cried like this before. Then the brunette thought that, just maybe, his brother had sustained a worse injury from last night. Although, Rin wasn't the type of person to hide away in the bathroom with a broken leg.

The Neko had slipped into the scene and delivered her perplexing explanation before taking off to her room. Now Yukio didn't know what to think.

It had been so long since he'd heard a noise from inside it started to worry him. Yukio pressed his ear to the door and listened: soft snoring echoed against the tile walls. His brother was asleep.

The young teacher was very thankful that it was only Sunday. If this was a school day he'd have missed his classes up until fourth hour by now. The younger teen sighed as he sat there, leaning against the bathroom door. Rin was asleep now. It would be a while until he woke up. Yukio, fed up with waiting, stood and dusted himself off. The bathroom door was locked from the inside, leaving only one method of getting in: force.

The young teacher dashed back to their room and searched it for a familiar object. Against the wall? Nope. Under the bed? No. Aha! Bingo. Behind Rin's pillow. The younger twin gripped Kurikara and pulled it out of the red sleeve. Walking back to the bathroom, Yukio tensed his muscles. Preparing for what he was about to do.

Once he reached the door again, the brunette readied the butt of the sword and swung for the hinges.

 _Crack!_

 _Ring!_

 _Snap!_

All three hinges buckled under the blunt force and broke off. Yukio pulled the falling door towards himself and let it fall to the hallway floor.

Yukio gasped.

o.O.0.O.o

Rin's POV

She opened her eyes blearily for the second time that day. This time, she found sunlight streaming through the window of her room. She was lying on her bed, the covers pulled up past her chest but below her neck. Kuro wasn't in his usual spot. Noticing as she looked towards the end of the bed she had less view beyond her chest, all the horrible memories came flooding back: waking up in the kitchen, freaking out in the bathroom, Yukio trying to get in, crying herself to sleep.

Rin's entire body was numb at the moment, but she could still feel the heat of fresh tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Oh come on," said a voice besides her. "Being a girl isn't _that_ bad."

Rin had failed to notice until now that Neko was sitting in the chair next to the desk. Realizing she was only wearing thin pajamas, Rin self-consciously pulled the covers up more to hide herself. Neko laughed slightly at seeing this but continued.

"I'm really sorry about this, Rin." she said. "It's gonna take me months before I can find a way to reverse this. I shouldn't have left that stupid serum on the counter. It's all my fault."

Rin wanted to agree, to start chewing her out on her stupidity, but it wasn't in her nature to do that. _She_ was the one who always blamed herself. Everything was usually _her_ fault. She wasn't going to let someone else take the fall for her, even if it _was_ partially their fault.

"Both of us are to blame," Rin whispered. "I shouldn't have eaten that slice of cake."

Neko laughed at that.

Suddenly Rin got a gnarly stomach cramp. Like she'd eaten something that had gone bad. She tried to ignore it, but the pain showed as she clenched her teeth.

"Yeah, that'll happen." Neko ventured casually. "Any sort of magical change to the anatomy will leave you with a stomach ache sooner or later."

Then more pressing matters arose in Rin's mind. "How long will I stay like this?"

The raven chimera tapped her chin. "Hmmm… depending on how fast I can figure out a reversal serum, I'd say about three months."

The girl on the bed groaned. "… Where's Yukio?"

The witch then burst into a fit of giggles. "I-it was so funny… you should've seen it! He was blushing all the way down to his neck! His entire head was red the whole time he carried you here. He- he left in such a hurry… said he needed to 'get some air'. It was hilarious!"

The older twin couldn't help but laugh at her brother's antics. She noticed the change in her voice and stopped laughing. The pitch and tone was like her old voice, only modulated to sound reedier and higher. She sounded a little bit like Izumo, actually. Only a little less bitchy. The girl frowned, fully facing the new "changes" and accepting in her mind that this really _did_ happen. It wasn't a pleasant feeling.

Neko seemed to notice this. "Hey, cheer up! Luck was in your favor for this one."

Rin crossed her arms, sitting up on the bed. "Oh yeah? How?"

"Well, you could've been an _ugly_ girl. Just wait until school, the boys'll be drooling over you!"

Rin's face turned beat red. "Ugh! Oh no way in _hell_ I'm going anywhere looking like this!"

"Oh yes you are!" Neko sung happily. "In fact, we're going shopping today!"

o.O.0.O.o

 **I can't stop grinning. This was such a brilliant idea! Although, I can't help but feel I did a poor job executing it. I'm not sure if that's my usual "I can't write to save my life" attitude, or if I really** _ **did**_ **do a less-than-perfect job on this.**

 **Oh well. I had nothing to compare it to, because I couldn't find any other story with this idea in it. I didn't have the bar set for me yet, so hopefully this story can stand as a sort of reference to anyone out there who plans on using this idea. Maybe my story will help someone else be a better writer than me!**

 **So yeah. I got nothing else to say.**

 **Rin: That's a first.**

 **Will you just GO AWAY! I'm trying my best here and I don't need YOU criticizing me!**

 **Rin: I wasn't criticizing you! Where the hell did that come from?**

 **I'm done arguing with you. You've hurt my feelings. Now I'm going to go sulk in the corner and tell myself just how much of a bad writer I am.**

 **Rin: Er… don't do that. You're not a bad writer. You've just got a lot more to learn, thas all.**

 **Wow Rin, I didn't know you could be so concerned for others, being a demon an all…**

 **Rin: Hey!**

 **Haha. Yeah. I'm done insulting myself now. And I'm done with this chapter too.**

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	8. Chapter 8

Colors of Fire Ch. 8

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **Hello my wonderful readers! I had no idea what to do with myself after I wrote the last chapter. I had a hard time choosing between plot bunnies. There was a cute little albino one, a brown one, and a gray one.**

 **I've decided on the gray one.**

 **Oddly enough, this particular plot bunny isn't evil, unlike most of the plot bunnies I tend to get. So no worries!**

 **Okay, I need to get this off of my chest before I explode! I've had the song Noble Maiden Fair stuck in my head for the past two months. I can't even sing it to myself because the lyrics are Scottish Gaelic!**

 **SO FRUSTRATING!**

 **Rin: *laughing***

 **IT'S NOT FUNNY RIN!**

 **Rin: *wipes tear from eye* Yes, yes it is.**

 **You want me to go get Envy again? Maybe I'll call Amaimon, too.**

 **Rin: *runs away* YOU'LL NEVER CATCH ME…**

 **Ahem… Now that everything is in order, on with the show!**

o.O.0.O.o

Neko's POV

It took a while to convince Rin to go out in public. It was a heavy verbal battle, but eventually Neko claimed victory with reason and logic.

"…if you miss school for three months you'll fall behind in all your classes, including mine!"

"So?" countered the irritated girl.

"So," Neko continued. "If you fall too far behind you'll fail the Exorcist Authorization Exam, and the Vatican will execute you! So it's either show up to school as a girl for three months, or die! Take your pick!"

The bluenette visibly paled. Neko smirked. She was very pleased with her argument. It had been a long exhausting battle, but eventually, the need for survival came before pride. Rin was defeated.

The girl blushed for a second, apparently realizing something unpleasant. "W-will I have to wear the girl's uniform?"

The chimera nodded slowly. "Uha. And ya know what, Rin?"

She didn't look up, but the witch could tell that she was still listening.

"I'm not even sure if I _can_ reverse what the serum did to you."

The bluenette looked up at the chimera with a shattered look in her eyes. "Huh? W-what do you mean?"

Neko sighed. "There's never a guarantee with magic. Sometimes— sometimes changes like these can't be reversed. Don't get me wrong, I'll do everything in my power to fix this. But I'm just saying; prepare yourself in case it doesn't work out. Besides, you'll need to get used to your new physique even _if_ I find the cure. Alright?"

Something in Rin's spirit broke just then. Neko could feel it, deep down in her soul. Rin had lost faith. She had probably just convinced herself she'd never get back to normal. Tears started brimming her eyes again. Before she could make a complete mess of herself, Neko made her way over to her and pulled her in a tight, sisterly embrace.

At first, Rin stiffened from the contact, not sure what to do. Soon though, she got over it and sobbed silently into the chimera's shoulder. She held the girl close, knowing that the best thing for her now was for someone to be there for her. Someone who understood.

It surprised Neko that Rin was being so emotional about this, being _Rin_ , the bullheaded exwire whom Neko believed to be the strongest of them all. Then again, if Neko were turned into a guy, she would have a similar reaction. Something like a gender being changed probably caused all sorts of chemical imbalances in the body. Rin's inner systems and hormones were probably scrambling around inside her shouting, "What do we do, what do we do?"

Hmmm…. That got Neko thinking.

The witch shoved the thoughts aside for the time being, focusing on comforting the poor girl. Right now Rin needed her, and she wasn't going anywhere until her friend was stable.

After a few minutes, Rin composed herself enough to talk again.

"So… umm," the bluenette ventured. "I… uh—"

Fortunately for Rin, Neko caught on quickly. "Don't worry, Rin. Everything will be fine. First though, we have to go shopping and get you some new clothes!"

Neko smiled broadly and took her friend's hands, pulling her up to stand. The bluenette growled for a second, not pleased by the idea of shopping. Then her expression changed from and irritated dog to a slightly pissed off cat.

"Whatever…"

Neko smiled at the resurfacing personality of Rin's. A sobbing girl puzzled the chimera, but a cranky crab-ass she could deal with.

o.O.0.O.o

Rin's POV

Rin had never been so utterly disgusted with herself before. It was a new feeling. She never thought there could be such thing as the strong sense of self-loathing she felt now. But, above all else, Rin was embarrassed. Embarrassed to have completely fallen apart. In front of a _girl_ no less. Rin never felt that passionate need to cry like that before, and quite frankly it scared the shit out of her.

When she was a guy, she could just shove her emotions to the side, or even bottle them up. Sooner or later they'll dissolve and it would be like they weren't ever there in the first place. Now that she was a girl, _poof_! Suddenly she was an emotional train-wreck. Rin couldn't even predict when these feelings would surface. Just out of nowhere they'd ambush her, leaving her weak and undefended. She figured that _this_ was the reason why there was that unspoken rule of the universe that said: girls were allowed to cry.

The old Rin would have been a stubborn-ass and wrestled with his emotions until he finally came out on top, along with every other guy in the world. Only occasionally, when pushed too far, a guy would cry. But the shock of the whole ordeal _on top of_ suddenly being unable to control her outbursts had done her in. She'd wept, sobbed, and cried her heart out. And there was nothing she could've done to stop it.

Rin was extremely ashamed of herself for shattering like that, all over someone she barely knew. Neko was an okay person, but jeez. The more Rin thought about it, the more she blamed fate for putting her through all this. Fate had arranged this little nightmare, everything set and in order for _this_ particular outcome.

The cake being there at that _exact_ moment in time. The serum sitting on the counter, the _perfect_ place for it to have been just then. The very fact that Neko forgot it there. The fact that Amaimon and that shape shifter chose _that_ day to fight her, essentially exhausting Rin to the point of needing to eat something. Rin knew that if she tried to fight fate it would just end badly for her. After all, the three old hags were a far more ancient and mysterious power than that of even Satan himself. Rin knew just how dangerous it would be to tamper with their precious strings.

But Rin was still pissed. So pissed in fact that Neko had managed to drag her out of the dorm and into the shopping district without her notice.

"Wait— Wh-where am I?" Rin gasped out.

Neko chuckled besides her, grinning at her friend's sudden wake of reality. "I _told_ you I was going to take you shopping! Now let's go!"

Rin stopped walking, freezing in the middle of the crowded street. She glanced around nervously, searching for any sign of the Kyoto trio. "B-but, what if someone recognizes me?!"

The bluenette looked down at herself and realized with a great deal of embarrassment that she had somehow missed the fact that she was wearing a girl's school uniform. Short pink skirt and all.

"Eep!" Rin shrieked, tugging her skirt lower, trying to hide the red in her cheeks with her jacket sleeve. She could feel her tail threatening to come loose from inside her shirt. "What the hell?!"

Some onlookers glanced at her like, _What's her problem?_

Neko shushed her violently and pulled her off to the side of the street. The chimera let go of the girl's sleeve and slapped her wrist. "Um hello? We're in public, Rin! Act normal!"

"Normal? How do expect me to— wait. How did I even get into this uniform?"

"You _willingly_ put it on, Rin." she stated. "Don't you remember?"

The bluenette rubbed the back of her head, trying to remember. Just then something clicked in her mind.

" _So are we going or what?" Neko had asked irritably. "You're going to need a few feminine articles before you go to school tomorrow."_

 _The raven chimera stuffed the remainder of her wings into a long jacket and pulled out a bundle of clothes from her trunk._

" _Here," she said, tossing them to her. "You can wear one of my uniforms. I think we're the same size."_

 _Rin had nearly choked. "Y-you expect me to wear a_ skirt _? The hell is wrong with you!? I've been a girl for a little less than a day and you're already making me do shit like this?"_

 _Neko glared at her pointedly. "Hey, just be glad that I'm helping you at all."_

 _Rin swallowed back her pride and begrudgingly returned to the scene of the crime to change into the clothes._

Rin nearly swooned at the sudden rush of memories. Thinking too much did that to her sometimes. She would sort out her thoughts for an extended period of time and come back to reality often unable to recall recent events.

Neko smirked. "Now that that's sorted, I think we oughta hit a bra store first. You can't just wear a jacket over your casual dress every day, ya know."

The bluenette blushed all the way down to her neck.

"And don't worry," Neko continued softly. "If anyone from school sees you I'll scare them away. No big D. We cool now?"

After a few moments of thought, Rin reluctantly nodded and allowed the chimera to guide her through the shopping district. She really hoped that Neko would follow through with her promise.

o.O.0.O.o

Shima's POV

Bon, Koneko and he were at the shopping district on Sunday. Koneko wanted to stop in the pet store to check up on something. Bon wanted to take a break from his intense studying and act like a normal person for once. And Shima, of course, was on the lookout for some dirty manga! His friends didn't approve, but let him come along on the account of his brain being fried from last night. He deserved a break, too.

As they walked the streets, Shima hit on pretty much every girl that strolled past them, much to Bon and Koneko's annoyance. Each girl would either slap him, chew him out, or both. But there was one girl out of the million Shima met that day that hadn't done any of those things.

His blue-haired dream come true!

Shima hadn't met a woman quite like this one before. He giddily replayed the encounter in his mind.

 _The pink-haired monk was by the food court when the blue angel had made her appearance. Immediately, Shima openly gawked at her, taking in her heavenly features._

 _Long, waist-length, flowwy locks of midnight blue. Mesmerizing sapphire eyes, sparkling with blazing hot embers. Pale, fair skin. Basically the perfect height for him. A natural sassy pose, hip popped, hands on her sides._

 _Shima was alighted to see she wore the same girl's uniform that his school required of the fairer sex. The skirt hugged her perfect hour-glass curves, complimenting her build. Her chest wasn't ridiculously huge, but it wasn't all that small either._

 _Something in her face struck Shima as familiar, like he'd met her somewhere before. He couldn't pin it down. It was right on the tip of his tongue, resting annoyingly just outside his reach._

 _Within seconds he was at her side._

" _Hello angel! Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?"_

 _Shima had mentally scolded himself. He never could get that line quite right. Nonetheless, he received an unexpected reaction from the goddess that stood before him._

" _HUH?! What— Who… Why the hell would you ask me something like that? Dude, are you blind!?"_

 _Shima was taken aback. "How could I be blind? Your beauty is the most radiant rays of sunshine that my eyes have ever had the pleasure to behold! You are the divine goddess that which I warship the very ground beneath your feet!"_

 _The angel seemed to have realized something just then, or perhaps she was reminded of something. Whichever the case, she visibly tensed, then relaxed slightly._

 _People were starting to gather around and stare. Some girls in the crowd were going "Awwww!"at Shima's finely honed wooing skills._

 _The blue angel blushed deeply, looking around and realizing the pressure the crowd was putting on her. "C'mon, man! You're causing a scene!"_

 _Her voice sounded like a river of honey! Everything about this girl was amazing! The onlookers started to disperse, much to the blue angel's apparent relief. Shima pressed on regardless, desperate to hear that voice again._

 _He opened his mouth to speak again, but was interrupted when a very vicious hand swatted him upside the head. "Ow! Hey, what was tha—"_

 _The pink-haired monk looked up to see the witch of the class glaring down at him._

"… _for."_

" _There will be no more perverted idiots ruining our day!" Neko sneered coldly._

" _Hey! I may be perverted, but I'm not an idiot!" Shima defended himself._

 _The blue angel snorted. "Yeah right, Shima. I've seen your grades. You're not foolin' anyone."_

 _Neko muttered softly, "…not like yours are much better…"_

" _Hey!"_

 _Shima then realized something. "Wait, how did you know my name? And speaking of which, what's yours?"_

 _The blue angel hesitated. The two girls locked eyes and a silent battle of wills took place. Shima didn't know what it was about, but after a few seconds his angel had apparently claimed victory._

" _Sorry Shima, but we better go." the witch stated, shouldering her bag._

" _Yes. We need to leave now. Let's go!" the bluenette agreed._

" _Wait!" Shima nearly shouted. "How am I supposed to find you? Prince charming got a glass slipper! What do I get?"_

 _Neko turned to him and snarled, "Another swat upside the head if you keep at this! She's_ not _gonna date you so get over yourself!"_

 _For a moment, the blue angel hesitated. She looked at Shima with something similar to pity, like she would an injured puppy. She opened her mouth to say something, giving Shima a spark of hope._

 _The spark was squashed when she closed it again, changing her mind. Never had Shima been that close to actually scoring a date with the perfect woman. It left him depressed and a little thrilled at the same time._

 _The two girls turned around and walked away. The blue angel's hips swayed adorably, making Shima wish more than ever that he'd just tried a_ little _bit harder. He knew he'd regret it for the rest of his life, but he let his blue angel slip away from him._

 _If he couldn't have her, he wanted her to fly freely._

Shima sighed contently, wishing that the blue angel would return. Those fiery eyes of hers told him she wasn't some dippy, shallow popular girl. Those sapphires held an endless depth in them that Shima found a bit imposing but very interesting. Something about her laid back, no nonsense attitude intrigued the monk to no end. He wanted to find out more about her, get to know her, and eventually marry her.

As he walked alongside his friends, Shima was already regretting letting her just walk out of his life like that. He hoped beyond reason that he'd see her at least once more in his life.

He rejoiced when he remembered that she wore the True Cross Academy uniform. Maybe there was a chance he'd see her again. Maybe he could have another chance with his blue angel after all.

He certainly wasn't going to let her slip through his fingers again, if that was the case.

o.O.0.O.o

 **Sorry about it being so long! I got a bit carried away with Shima's POV. Oh, an in case you're wondering, no I won't be pairing the two. I only plan on keeping Rin a girl for a little while and obviously it's unrequited love.**

 **I just know you'll all laugh when Shima finally figures out that he's been crushing on his half demon classmate! I plan on making a special scene for that later in the story. For now though, I want to torture Rin some more.**

 **By the way, sorry if Rin was a bit OOC in the last few chapters. I'm not really sure what his real reaction would be to all of this. So I just made my best guess and stuck with it.**

 **And… that's all I got to say for the time being! Next up is the long awaited brown plot bunny! I hope you enjoy it!**

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	9. Chapter 9

Colors of Fire Ch. 9

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **This isn't even funny. My garden has been overthrown by plot bunnies. Unfortunately, the evilest one has become the dictator and is currently directing its troops of brainwashed underlings.**

 **I'm being held in a dungeon beneath the garden, shackled to the cold stone wall. The only way I can communicate with you now is through sending a hawk with a small scroll containing the updates of my suffering.**

 **I am sorry my dear readers, I have let you down.**

 **Until I can take back my garden, I fear the evil plot bunny will alter the story and bend it to its own horribly twisted will.**

 **And since I will not be the writer of the following chapters, I have absolutely no idea what content they may contain. I cannot comment or clarify on them. I can only tell you of my progress, down here in the dungeon, if there is any progress at all.**

o.O.0.O.o

Neko's POV

If only Neko had realized the flaws in her plan to go shopping. She hadn't taken into account that they might've run into someone from school, and that's exactly what happened. The chimera wouldn't have minded a run-in with Shiemi or Izumo. At least they were girls. But _noooo_. They just _had_ to run into Shima. SHIMA! Of all the classmates it had to be the pervert!

Neko felt incredibly guilty that she'd dragged her friend into that horrifying situation. She wished she could invent a time machine and go back to fix everything. The worst part of it all was how shaken Rin was after they'd returned home. She refused to talk about it. Even when her brother questioned her strange behavior she just shoved past him and locked herself in their room. And, of course, Yukio was locked _out_ of their shared room.

"I don't get it." he sighed, frustrated. "Rin's never acted like this before. It isn't like he's never been evasive, but still. He's never locked me out my own room."

Neko shrugged. "Well, just keep in mind that he's a she now, so she's _going_ to be emotionally unstable."

The young teacher took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "Yeah… I guess."

The chimera spread her unsealed wings and stretched them out on the sofa she was currently occupying. Since Neko had moved in, Mephisto took the liberty of arranging a small living room in the dorm building, because there were more than two students staying there now. Neko rather enjoyed the new room. It was the size of two bedrooms with the wall in between them knocked down. A small, brickwork fire place had been built, courtesy of one of Mephisto's many familiars. Three sofas were placed around it along with two comfy chairs.

A medium-sized coffee table and a Persian rug tied the arrangement together. Neko had claimed the one sofa as her territory, Yukio usually sat in the chair closest to the door, and Rin liked to sit on the sofa across from Neko.

The chimera found it rather hard to focus on being happy when Rin was in her and her twin's room, probably sulking. Said twin was looking worried, his forehead crinkled with stress lines, his tail twitching irritably behind him.

He sighed again. "I'm going to go talk to him— uh, _her_."

"Alright. Just be careful. She might throw at shoe at you."

Yukio nodded, got up, and left the room, leaving Neko hopeful that Rin's twin would be able to cheer her up.

For a few minutes, the raven chimera continued to sit there, alone. She watched dully as one of her feathers drifted down to the floor. Neko sighed. She wasn't looking forward to molting again, but it was inevitable, like a girl's "time of the month".

Neko's eyes widened. _Uh-oh…_

 _Oh no! Rin doesn't know about that yet!_

o.O.0.O.o

Yukio's POV

The brunette nervously made his way to his and his bro— no, _sister's_ room. He went through the mental list of things he was going to say. First he would try to get her to let him in, then gently ask her what had happened. If she didn't let him in, he'd just talk through the door, trying to convince her that whatever had happened wasn't her fault. That he was there for her as a brother. Yukio hoped that she'd let him in after that.

The young exorcist was confused and very lost. He felt like the world was ending for his sister, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He felt helpless and a bit left out.

He _knew_ what was going on, but he just couldn't _believe_ it. He knew at the back of his mind that this was hard for Rin to get a grip on. Yukio knew his sibling was strong enough to man-up and be the hero when someone else was hurt. But this time, _she_ was the victim. And it was, quite literally, impossible for her to _man-up_ given the circumstances.

Yukio halted in front of the door, pausing slightly. Quietly, he pressed his ear against the door, just to hear what the condition was. Scratching. That's what he heard. Scratching, like the old-fashioned scribble of pencil on paper. That, and a few sniffles here and there.

Taking a deep breath and mustering his courage, Yukio knocked softly on the wooden door. "Rin? Are you alright in there?"

The scribbling and sniffles stopped.

Yukio heard scuffing and the sound of a book slamming shut. Footsteps made their way to the other side of the door. Then it opened, revealing Rin's retreating figure. Yukio stepped into the room cautiously. He noticed on Rin's desk was a hastily cleaned up workspace, a few loose papers, and a book entitled _The Theory of Science_. "So… everything's fine?"

The girl merely looked back at him with a _duh_ kind of expression. The brunette smiled when he caught the glimpse of Rin's old attitude.

"Yeah. Everything's fine." she said, tone just above a whisper. "Sorry I shut you out like that. It wasn't your fault."

"It's alright, nii-san. I don't blame you."

Rin rubbed the back of her head, effectively knotting her long hair without meaning to. "I don't know what's gotten into me lately. Well, I _do_ , but that's not really what I mean…"

Yukio smiled. "That's okay, I get it. You know, you're not alone Rin. You've got me and Neko here with you to help you through this. You _can_ rely on others every once in a while."

This time it was his twin's turn to smile. "I know. Neko's been helping me a lot, and I didn't realize it until she pointed it out to me. I'm such an idiot sometimes, huh Yukio?"

Yukio sat on the end of Rin's bed, right next to her, and put his hand on her shoulder. "You're not an idiot, Rin. Believe me, if you were, you wouldn't have come this far. I know this has to be rough on you, and I can't even _pretend_ to understand, but I _know_ you can get through this."

She grinned, still looking at the floor. "You know, I'm perfectly fine now. I don't need the rehearsed speech anymore. So you can stop."

The younger sibling chuckled slightly.

Suddenly the sound of running feet pounded down the hallway, toward their room. A second later, Neko opened the door slowly, surveying the scene within. Deeming it safe, she stepped inside.

"Out!" she hollered, jabbing her thumb at Yukio, and then at the door.

Yukio nearly choked. "W-who, me?"

"Yes you! Rin and I need to talk. _Girl stuff_. So out with ya!" she came up to him, grabbed his arm and shoved him towards the door. "Go on, get!"

The chimera shoved him fully outside before he got the opportunity to protest. He stood there, blinking at the door that was just shut in his face.

o.O.0.O.o

Rin's POV

Neko shut the door and locked it. She fretfully glanced out the windows, as if looking for anyone peeking in from the _third story_ window. She decided to shut the shades, just to be safe, and finally seated herself on the chair next to Rin's desk.

"Okay!" she asserted. "So, as you know, you're a girl now. There are a few things you need to know and be prepared for. First of all, once a month a girl—"

Neko stopped midsentence, turning beat red. Rin just sat there, a puzzled look on her face, waiting for the witch. Taking a breath, said witch continued. "S-so once a month— ah! I can't do this! I need to find the tape!"

"The tape?" Rin questioned nervously.

"Yes, the tape." Neko replied, standing up. "I'll just get it for you tomorrow, and you can watch it after the Cram School ends."

Rin's eyes widened. "Wait, you still expect me to go to school!?"

The chimera glared daggers at her friend. "Remember what I said earlier about the Vatican executing you! You're _not_ weaseling your way out this. You still need to pass that exam, Rin."

The girl turned pale. "Oh yeah…"

The black-haired witch rubbed her eyes and then sighed. "I need to check on my subjects. See you tomorrow, Rin…"

With that she left the room, closing the door softly behind her.

o.O.0.O.o

Neko's POV

She was sorry that she caved like that. She had gone in there planning to rip through the unpleasant lesson and get on with her life. But in the end, she didn't have the courage to rip apart Rin's already shredded sanity.

Neko walked barefooted on the roof, her wings dragging behind her on the pavement. As the feathers brushed against the ground she could feel the tingles it sent through her nerves. She never used her wings much since she came to True Cross. Back home, she lived in a mountain range where no one would see her soaring through the sky. There she was just another majestic eagle swooping through the ravines.

At True Cross, flying was a risk she wasn't willing to take just yet. Not even at night. Since True Cross was the base of the demon hunters, who knew what was out there, uselessly clawing against the barriers, trying to get in. Neko also feared being spotted by an exorcist and being dragged off to some lab for experiments. Experiments done on _her_.

That was Neko's worst fear: being the subject again. Trapped inside the white walls and cages. Needles jabbing her every few hours, cruel scientists poking and prodding at her, smirking behind those blue masks. And worst of all the black-haired woman.

The chimera shuttered at the memories and pushed them away.

She approached the glass cages behind the chimney and peered inside each of them. In the first cage contained the white rats, milling about in their confined environment. In the second cage the other rats were doing the same, but something caught Neko's eye. The brown female rat had patches of white fur along its back, something it never had before. The light colored fur snaked down the creature's spine and spread out from there. The rest of the fur was still brown.

The witch's eyes shot open all the way at a sudden realization: the serum was working. Slowly, but surely. Part of her mind screamed, "Impossible, I forgot to heat the serum! It shouldn't have worked at all! That instruction was printed clear as day in my notes!" But here she was, staring at the brown rat that was slowly turning white to resemble its partner.

Then Neko gasped and nearly lost her balance when something clicked in her head.

 _If the serum worked on the rat… Then it's going to work on Rin!_

The shell-shocked chimera numbly remembered adding her own DNA to that particular brew. If the serum truly _did_ work, then her friend was in for some painful changes. By the rate of the serum's effects, the rat would be completely white in two days' time. The day she'd tested it on the rat was the same day Rin had ingested it. But for some reason, Rin wasn't gaining any of Neko's more obvious traits yet. Maybe it worked slower on larger organisms. Or maybe Rin's half demon heritage was fighting Neko's chimera genes.

Neko calmed just a bit. Maybe Rin's heritage would stop the serum's effects. Maybe Rin had a chance at being normal again. The witch strengthened with resolve, determined more than ever to find a way to reverse the serum.

The raven chimera made up her mind, her veins burning with purpose.

Snapping her wings out, she hurled herself off the roof and leveled off into the air. Soaring through the dark sky, she raced towards the old library, just _hoping_ that that book was still there. She didn't even care about being seen anymore. She was already confident that she would be careful enough. Neko needed to find some answers fast. She sped toward the lights of the city.

Neko would find the cure. Before Rin ran out of time.

o.O.0.O.o

 **I apologize again, if the evil plot bunny has twisted my story beyond recognition. I'm unable to view it, being locked in a dungeon and all. I've sent the hawk with this scroll to you my readers, and another scroll to the grey plot bunny I had planned on using. Maybe if I can start a revolt among the rest of the plot bunnies they'll be able to conquer the evil one. I hope so, anyway.**

 **That's all my progress for now.**

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	10. Chapter 10

Colors of Fire Ch. 10

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **Greetings readers. I have received word from the gray plot bunny. He has informed me that there is indeed a revolt being organized. I can't tell you how happy I was to hear that.**

 **I had previously though the plot bunnies hated me, being their captor and all. But no, they rather took a liking to me. They're planning to conquer the evil plot bunny and free me from this prison.**

 **Now that I'm on good terms with them, my days of leashes and collars are over. Now I shall treat them with the respect they deserve. When I leave this dungeon, I will build a special green house of carrots just for them.**

 **That is my progress for now.**

o.O.0.O.o

Rin's POV

Rin wasn't even _close_ to being okay with her new body. In fact, she was positive that this event would scar her for life, that she'd never forget it. If her suspicions were correct, her evil brother would probably engrave it on her tombstone after the Vatican finally kills her.

It took her a whole day just to get used to how the new body moved. She tried to walk like normal, but quickly found that a girl's center of balance wasn't the same as a guy's. Guys tended to lean back a little, girls walked leaning forward. Many times Rin nearly fell backwards. It was humiliating. And her trips to the bathroom had been… interesting, to say the least. Rin shuddered, not wanting to revisit the disturbing memories.

She'd also discovered why women wore bras. It was acutely uncomfortable and embarrassing to _not_ wear one. She couldn't help but wonder how cave-women managed without them. Maybe they'd made some sort of makeshift replacements out of saber-tooth fur, or something.

After Neko outfitted her with the odd contraption, she found that it was a whole lot easier to move. She walked with an added spring in her step afterwards, finally a bit confident. Rin was in no way done with freaking out about this. She would probably die the next day when she would have to face the Cram School.

The Cram School… holy shit!

What was she going to tell them? She couldn't just waltz in there and pretend like everything was cool. It was starkly obvious that she was a girl now; there was no getting around that. She thought back to that afternoon, when they'd ran into Shima at the shopping district. Her heart twisted when she remembered that shattered look in his eyes after Neko told him to back off. Rin herself had felt a bit guilty that Shima never got the girl he wanted.

The guy had always been girl-crazy, as far as she could tell. Koneko and Bon made it sound like he'd been doing it since childhood. Rin had seen the pink-haired monk in action before, but never had she seen him pour his entire heart out like that. When Rin was a guy, he vaguely understood the desire, what with crushing on Shiemi, but he had always thought the guy took it a bit too far.

The way he was talking about her like she was a frickin' _goddess_ … She'd never heard Shima do that before. It was always, _You're cute, wanna date me?_ Or _You got a mighty fine body there, miss!_ It was shallow comments like that that had earned Shima a slap to the face.

But when Shima was describing her beauty aloud for everyone to hear, it was like she was the only girl in the world. The guy in her was repulsed by the attempt to woo her, but the new girl was beaming at the pure honesty in Shima's eyes. Rin hadn't noticed at the time, but when Shima had declared his love for her so _thoroughly_ , her heart went out to him. It felt amazing to know that at least _one_ guy on this planet appreciated her whole-heartedly.

The guy in Rin wanted to throw up, and the girl in Rin wanted to smile and accept Shima's love. Being that Rin had lived all her life as a guy up until then, the male mind-set triumphed over the newer female one. She'd walked away.

Now Rin was beyond scared of herself. She was afraid that if she stayed like this for much longer she'd cave and fall in love with her _male_ classmate. It wasn't helping much when suddenly Rin remembered something that the pink-haired teen had said to Rin when she was a guy.

" _If you ever wanted to switch sides you'd make someone an awesome wife!" he praised with a mouthful of Rin's cooking._

Rin hadn't thought much of it at the time. He'd just took it as a compliment and moved on. But now, after the fiasco at the shopping district, she began to wonder. Had Shima been subconsciously capable of falling in love with Rin that whole time? Did Shima, the Great Womanizer, have the hots for a _dude_? Of course not. Rin was a girl now.

And it only appeared as though Shima loved Rin's looks as a girl, and her cooking. That was it.

Rin knew the feeling of unrequited love. It sucked. It made you wanna curl up and die in a corner. She didn't want Shima to feel the same way, but above all else, she wanted to be her _real_ gender again. She wasn't going to stay a female just so Shima got his perfect girl. No. Rin would find Shima a better one. A _real_ girl. A girl that looked _just_ like she did now, and could _cook_ like she could. But even that wouldn't be enough, she knew. Rin was going to find Shima a girl that loved him _back_.

It was the least she could do for him, after Rin took away the guy's only chance at true love. But first thing was first: Rin needed to get rid of his true love. She needed to ditch the look. Rin needed to look like himself again, but that wasn't going to be for a while. So she'd just have to settle for something else until then. Briefly, Rin wondered if binding her chest and cutting her hair would work. She still looked like the old Rin, in a sense. She begrudgingly acknowledged that she'd had the build of a lanky cat even _before_ she changed.

But… even if that did the trick, one student was still going to be a problem: Bon. He was the smartest. Nothing was going to get past him. He would, without a doubt, notice the change in size and facial structure.

And so would Shima.

The girl flopped back onto the bed with a small grunt and tossed the pair of scissors back on the desk.

 _So much for_ that _idea._

Suddenly, she heard footsteps coming down the hall. The bluenette glanced at the clock on the desk: 11:48 pm. There were two sets of footsteps, from what she could hear. Cautiously, she rose from her position on the bed and crept to the door. She pressed her ear against the cold wood surface and recoiled from the sounds outside.

Voices.

"…not crazy! Would you really think that I'd drag you all the way down here if I wasn't serious?" the tone sounded like Neko's.

A familiar voice answered back, "I'm not accusing you of being crazy, I'm just saying it's hard to believe. I mean, it's not every day I hear of a dude magically being changed into a chick!"

Rin gasped. It was Bon.

And that bitch raven chimera flat out _told_ him of Rin's predicament! She was seething with anger. Her new girl hormones kicked into overdrive. She was ready to claw that witch's eyes out!

The sound of a hand resting on the door handle startled the bluenette out of her rage. She could practically feel the color draining from her face.

 _What do I do? What do I do? WHAT DO I DO?_

She looked back and caught sight of the closet door, slightly ajar. It was practically inviting her. Without a second thought, she raced for the door and crammed herself inside, shutting it. She settled herself and peeked through the wooden shades to see the rooster-haired boy walking in with her former best friend.

He looked pissed.

o.O.0.O.o

Neko's POV

She was in the area labeled "Fiction" when she saw him. There, at the study tables, was her classmate. Suguro. The kid had a strong build, piercings, a perpetual scowl on his face, and brown hair with a dyed blond stripe down the middle like a mo-hawk. He didn't scare her one bit. The guy was pretty laid back once you got to know him. He was actually an alright dude, as far as dudes went. Although, Neko would've argued that she favored Rin's self-control over Suguro's.

The rooster-haired teen was currently engrossed in a huge textbook entitled: _Seals & Dark Magic_. Neko had half a mind to go over there and ask him want he was doing reading a book like that, but then she realized something. The look on his face almost screamed, _I'm pissed that I have to do this! What a waste of time!_

It was then that it clicked in the chimera's head. He was studying that because he thought Neko's teaching methods would be incompetent. What a little back stabber! She could hardly blame him though. She embarrassingly admitted in her head that she wasn't exactly prepared to teach a class. She hadn't even had the time to think up a lesson plan, what with Rin's fiasco.

Neko was a bit lucky. Suguro hadn't looked up to notice her staring at him this whole time. He still looked at the pages intensely, completely focused. The witch figured it would be another hour before he noticed her presence. At the moment, she was free to gawk at him all she wanted, without his awareness. So she continued to stare at him from her spot by the bookshelf.

She was also glad she'd went back to the dorm and grabbed a long black coat to cover her wings and feathers. No need to alert people of her strangeness even more so, apart from being in the library at 11 o' clock at night.

Neko briefly wondered how this guy was going to react tomorrow when Rin showed up for class. She figured he would either strangle the poor girl for getting into that predicament in the first place, chew her out for being a dumbass as ignore her for the rest of the day, or laugh. Sadly, Neko was nearly certain he'd do all three. Not exactly in that order.

It was then that Neko realized that she hadn't thought this part through yet. She was certain of making Rin go to class. That was a given. But by what means she hadn't thought of. How was she going to play this? Was she going to tell them the truth and say, _Oh, I turned Rin into a girl on accident. Oops. I'm trying to find a reversal serum that might not exist, so be nice to her until further notice!_

Neko nearly laughed at the thought.

Na, she figured Rin would die of embarrassment if she came in saying something like that. But…Wait. She wouldn't _come in_ at all. She was a teacher now. She wouldn't be able to explain for Rin, even if she wanted to! Neko wouldn't even _be_ there for her friend to help her get through the day. And that wasn't even including the regular high school! Rin was so screwed!

Guilt came crashing down on her. The witch placed her hand on the side of the bookshelf to steady herself. This was all _her_ fault. If she hadn't placed that stupid glass on the counter yesterday none of this would've happened! Neko knew then that she would need someone's help for this. Someone on the inside, who knew what was going on. Someone that would be mature about this and help Rin get through it.

Someone like…

Her eyes wondered back to the rooster-headed teen, who was sitting a ways away from her, still engrossed in his book.

o.O.0.O.o

 **Good news! The revolt has been organized! The plot bunnies are planning their attack next chapter! So hopefully by then I'll be out of this dungeon. I might even be able to write the chapter after that and continue on with the story, if it isn't mangled beyond recognition.**

 **So yeah, that's my amazing progress!**

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	11. Chapter 11

Colors of Fire Ch. 11

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **Great news readers! I'M FINALLY FREE! The revolt occurred earlier than expected! The evil plot bunny has been handed over to animal control! Yay!**

 **I read through the last two chapters. I must say, the evil plot bunny did a good job at hiding the evil in the story. But it wasn't completely disguised. The evil part: he let Bon in on Rin's secret.**

 **Well played.**

 **It seems as though my luck was in favor for this one. The plot bunny could've done so much worse. And since I'm lazy, I'll keep those chapters up and go from there.**

 **After all, the ideas weren't half bad.**

 **So yeah! Glad to be freed of the dungeon. I didn't even know I had one. Hmmmm…. Next time I get an evil plot bunny maybe I'll just put it in the dungeon until animal control arrives, instead of risking it getting away. Yeah, that sounds good.**

 **Rin: I would've preferred the evil plot bunny to continue the story. At least then I wouldn't have to listen to your constant yammering!**

 **Who let you back in?**

 **Rin: I melted the lock.**

 **Yet another thing to add to my shopping list… A new lock.**

o.O.0.O.o

Bon's POV

He was in the middle of a particularly difficult chapter when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Bon looked up to see Neko taking a seat across from him at the table.

"Hey." she ventured casually. "What's up?"

Bon blinked sleepily and marked his page. "Ugh… reading."

The witch of the class shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Got a minute? I need your help with something."

"Umm, sure." he answered, frowning slightly. "Help with what?"

Neko glanced around the room as if looking for prying eyes. Apparently deeming it safe, she leaned forward in her seat and whispered, "Something's happened to Rin. I don't even know if I can fix it. I need someone to be mature about this and help him get through it."

"Get through it?" Bon asked. "What happened? Is he sick or somethin'?"

She fidgeted in her seat, avoiding his eyes. "I guess you could say that, but— er, no. No, not really."

Neko closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as if mentally preparing herself for something. By the looks of it, it was almost like she was expecting to get yelled at. Like whatever she was about to say would upset him one way or another. Bon waited patiently for her to continue.

She brought her gaze up bravely and looked him straight in the eye.

"Rin's a girl now." she stated, tone deadly serious.

A million thoughts ran through Bon's mind. _Did I hear that right? Is this a nightmare? Is this real? Has Neko finally lost it? Have I lost it?_

All sorts of probabilities filtered through his thoughts. Most of them were crumpled up like useless ideas and tossed into the mental trash bin. Some of them were ripped to shreds and incinerated. A small portion that Bon clung to revolved around, _yup, Neko's finally lost it._ All while on the outside he resembled a gaping fish.

Neko caught on to his train of thought. "I'm not crazy, Suguro. I'm a _witch_ , remember? Anything's possible now that _I'm_ here. And the fact that Rin's gender has changed is indeed _my_ fault."

The black-haired girl reached over and pinched his arm, just to prove her point.

"Oww!" he complained, rubbing the skin. "Just because you're a witch doesn't mean I'm going to believe something so far-fetched as that. I have half a mind to turn you over to an asylum."

Bon was merely giving her a generic response. In his mind he was ready to put her in a strait jacket himself and send her to Mephisto. She argued a fair point, she _was_ a witch. But that didn't convince him enough. He needed proof to believe such ludicrousness.

The witch glared at him, apparently reading his thoughts. "Fine. I'll prove it to you. C'mon. Let's go."

Just like that, she stood up and clamped her hand around his wrist and yanked him outside. All the way there, Bon struggled but to no avail. The witch's fingers were like iron.

"Hey, what gives?!" he growled.

She just glared back at him and turned back around. She dragged him out into the middle of the parking lot. A very dark, unlit parking lot.

"I can't see a thing! Where the hell are you taking me, anyway?"

"I'm taking you to see Rin." she hissed. "Now no screaming! It's bad enough that I'll be flying with added weight."

Bon's face was drained of color. "H-huh?"

o.O.0.O.o

It took Bon a long time to fully process what Neko was saying after he woke up on the Okumura's dorm roof. The initial twenty minutes were spent in a sort of deaf shock state. Slowly after that he regained his right mind.

"…and so I left the serum on the counter. After the battle with Amaimon, Rin came into the kitchen and got into some of Ukobach's spicy cake and ingested the serum. That's why Rin's a girl now. Understand?"

Bon nodded slowly, absorbing the information. "Yeah. I think I get it now. So you want me to make sure he— er, _she_ don't have a mental breakdown while you're not there?"

"Precisely." she agreed. "Just make sure the other students aren't too harsh on her. In this fragile state of mind she can't handle much stress. Her reactions could range between breaking down and sobbing to throwing a fit of rage and burning everything in sight."

Bon frowned slightly. "Right."

Neko looked up at him expectantly. "Look Suguro, I'm counting on you. As is Rin's sanity. I need you to be there for her as a friend too, not just to keep her under control."

Bon wasn't too sure about this at first. He wanted to just call her crazy and leave. But one, he couldn't leave even if he wanted to; he was on the roof of a five-story building. He didn't have _wings_ like Neko did. He was still trying to wrap his mind around that. Two, Neko was reaching out to someone for help. Bon knew if he was in this situation and it was _his_ fault, he wouldn't have the courage to ask for help.

He also pitied Rin. Bon was glad that Neko was helping hi- _her_ through this. Bon would've locked himself up for the rest of his life if this had happened to him. Rin was being so strong about this.

The guy had the guts to _willingly_ go out in public the very same day he found out. And no doubt the whole Romeo  & Juliet scene in the shopping district was tearing him apart mentally. _And_ Rin was still planning on going to school tomorrow.

Bon made a mental note to strangle Shima if he so much as _looked_ at Rin funny tomorrow.

The rooster-haired teen nodded firmly to the witch. "I'll do what I can."

She nodded back. "Good. One less thing to worry about."

Neko shifted her weight uncomfortably. She looked like she wanted to say something more. She changed her mind apparently, because she set her jaw and continued, "I think we oughta check up on her. Besides, you want to see the proof still, right?"

Bon grinned. "Duh."

o.O.0.O.o

As soon as he entered the Okumura twin's room he was met with an empty space. Both beds were unoccupied. The desk chairs were slid under the workspaces. Not a living thing was in there. Bon scowled. He stepped into the room and examined it further. No one was in here. Neko came in shortly after, looking just as puzzled.

"Rin?" she called. "Where are you?"

"Maybe she's in the kitchen?" Bon concluded, running his fingers through his hair.

The witch suddenly sniffed the air, and her face crinkled in a look of disappointment. "You can do better than _that_ , Rin. I know you're in here. I can smell you."

Bon heard a small noise come from the closet door. It sounded like a cross between a whimper and a sigh. He walked over to inspect it, grabbed the handle, and opened it. True to Neko's word, a female Rin spilled out.

"Oww…" the girl complained in a tone very similar to Rin's.

She rubbed her head of long blue hair and glared up at the witch. "What gives, Neko!? I thought I could _trust_ you! And then you go off and tell _Suguro_ about this! Some friend you are!"

Neko raised her hands in surrender. "Hey, I needed some help! Suguro is with you in pretty much all your classes, Rin! He's agreed to help you get through this, so just chill!"

Rin sat up and crossed her arms. "I would've preferred Shiemi or even Izumo! Why'd ya have to get a _guy_ involved?"

Bon scowled at his classmate. "Oh, so now you've got something against _guys_? You used to _be_ one, remember? So what's the problem!?"

She glared daggers at him. " _You're_ the problem! You hate me! You've hated me ever since I came to this school! You've got no obligation to help me and no business being here!"

"I've got every right to be here! You're my classmate _and_ my friend. I don't hate you. You're irritating and that's it! Nothing more. Now are you going to quit wallowing in your self-pity and let me help you?"

Rin froze for a second, eyes wide. It was the same expression he wore that day on the camping trip. Right after Bon saved him from that giant moth.

 _You've got friends, don't forget that!_

The girl sat back down, finally realizing that Suguro meant her no harm in this. Her eyes still held a note of distrust, that Bon could tell. It would be a while until the guy finally let people in, trusted that he had friends to support him. Something like this was probably driving Rin insane. This whole ordeal would've shattered Bon long ago. Rin was taking this so much better than he would have, but the guy still wasn't as strong as he used to be.

Bon got the feeling that Rin wouldn't come out of this unscathed. Even _if_ Neko found a way to change him back, he wouldn't be the same.

For a moment, the bluenette looked like she was going to start crying. But then she glanced up at him. Rin was being strong in front of her classmate. She wouldn't cry when Bon was here. Bon knew if it was just her and Neko she'd probably be sobbing again. It was unimaginable. What Rin was going through right now must've been extremely taxing on her mind. Her sanity. This was why Neko chose to let Bon in on this.

If something happened to set Rin off during class, Neko wouldn't be there to stop it. Rin _needed_ someone there for her to keep her strong. And someone like Bon, the _one_ person Rin refused to cry in front of, was the perfect candidate. Bon didn't know if Neko's reasoning went that deep, but he understood the reasoning to want someone's help on this.

"Look Rin," Bon ventured softly. "You might not understand the concept, being half demon and all, but humans _trust_ their friends. When they need help, they rely on them. It's what being a friend is. Now, I've given you my trust dozens of times already. Wouldn't you say it's time to return the favor?"

A look of understanding crossed the girl's features. The way Bon put it, friendship was an exchange. _That_ Rin seemed to understand, at least. She hesitated for a moment, but her expression cleared and she looked up at him. "Don't you _dare_ treat me any different just because I'm a girl now."

The rooster-haired teen grinned. "So the 'no hitting a girl' rule doesn't count here?"

"You know it doesn't!"

Both of them laughed. Bon knelt down next to Rin and raised his fist to her, earning a confused look from the girl.

"What's that for?"

Bon sighed. "You bump it with your own fist. Ya know, fist-bump?"

"Oh."

She made a fist and tapped his with it. Neko was in the corner, smirking. The witch had hung back and watched the scene play itself out.

"Well," she said, clapping her hands together. "I think I better take Mr. Suguro home now. It's nearly midnight, and you guy's got school tomorrow."

Bon paled at the mention of another flight. "C-can't I just walk home?"

The witch shook her head. "Nope! Too far, and it's pitch black outside!"

"He can stay the night if he wants." said a voice from the door.

All three of them turned to see none other than Yukio leaning sleepily in the doorway. He looked like he just pulled an all-nighter grading papers. His clothes were in wrinkled ruins, his glasses were full of finger smudges, and his posture told them that the only thing keeping him standing was the doorway.

"Teach?" Bon sputtered. "W-when did you get here?"

Yukio slowly turned to address the voice of his student. _Man, he's really out of it._ Bon thought.

"I've been organizing a lesson plan for Rin, separate from the rest of the class." he drawled out tiredly.

The young teacher stretched and half stumbled his way over to his desk. He continued, "Mr. Suguro shouldn't have to walk all the way home this late at night. He can use one of the rooms here if he wants to."

Bon sat on the thought, figuring his friends were probably worried about him by now. "I guess. I'll just text Shima and Koneko. Let them know where I'm at…"

With that he left the Okumura's dorm room to find a room, glad to have an excuse _not_ to fly with Neko again.

o.O.0.O.o

 **I'm not happy with this chapter.**

" _ **I'm not happy, Bob. NOT happy."**_

 **I don't like how OOC everyone was. I couldn't figure out any other way to go about it, though. I needed someone else to be in on Rin's secret before the Cram School started the next day, and I was cutting it close with it being so late at night.**

 **And I don't like how I'm shoving this event into a day that was already chock-full of events.**

 **There's only 24 hours in a day! SO FRUSTRATING!**

 **I wish I had made the whole event chain start on a Saturday, but the plot bunny started it on a Sunday.**

 **So yeah. Hopefully next chapter will be better. And, oh yeah! Next chapter will probably be the "Shima finds out" scene! Yay!**

 **So yeah, that's all I got to say for this one.**

 **Envy: Has anyone seen the pipsqueak around here? We've lost him. We can't find him anywhere!**

 **Maybe he's hiding from you, Envy. Have you checked the inside of Al's armor yet?**

 **Envy: No…**

 **Well, I haven't seen him. So yeah, GET OUT!**

 **Envy: *stalks off shouting Al's name***

 **Hmph. Now that that's sorted, this chapter is done.**

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	12. Chapter 12

Colors of Fire Ch. 12

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **Yay! I'm so glad to be back after** _ **two days**_ **! Sitting here at my writing desk, eating Cheetos, and typing yet another chapter I feel like I just came home from a long vacation. Kinda like that feeling you get when you read through your favorite series of books again after a long time.**

 **Yeah, we're all book geeks here; you know what I'm talking about.**

 **Ahem. Anywho, I've just realized something. It's kinda like a creepy time loop, reversed and turned inside out.**

 **As of now I currently don't know how many chapters this story is going to be. And by the time you read this, it'll be right in front of you. So you know something that I didn't know, in the past, you're in the future, the same timeline that I'll be in when I publish this.**

 **So reading these author's notes is like stepping into a time machine! I feel like I'm somebody's grandmother now. XD This is amazing to think about. I'M IN THE PAST! I'M MAKIN' HISTORY!**

 **Okay, now that we're all thoroughly confused, let's get this show on the road!**

o.O.0.O.o

Rin's POV

Rin woke up feeling exhausted. What did she expect after staying up past mid-night? The day before was excruciatingly eventful, and her mind _still_ hadn't fully recovered. Deciding against falling asleep again like she usually would have, she pulled herself up into a sitting position and rubbed her eyes. She was horribly fatigued and sore from the… transformation. As she wiped away the last of the disgusting crud out of the corner of her eyes, she felt an irritating prick in her back.

The pain radiated from her left shoulder blade. Sighing, she slipped her hand into her pajama top and reached around to find the source. Smooth fingers glided along until they met something unusually fluffy. At first, the girl thought it was just the fur of her tail shedding again, but quickly tossed the idea when she felt a small rod of something hard. She tried to swipe it away, but it wouldn't budge. She could feel her skin getting irritated underneath, like the rod was somehow stuck to her.

Her half-asleep mind was getting fed up with playing games. Rin yanked it out, and more pain pulsed from where the rod previously was. It felt like she'd just yanked whatever it was out of her skin. Bringing it in front of her to examine the object, her eyes widened at the sight.

It was a black feather.

o.O.0.O.o

Yukio's POV

When he woke up, Yukio noticed that Rin's bed was already empty. Small beams of sunlight poured in through the shades, and Rin was _out_ _of bed_. Was the world coming to an end?!

He seriously doubted it.

Groaning and pulling himself away from his nice warm bed, he got up and stretched. He yawned while he was at it too: nothing like hitting two birds with one stone to start the day.

His muscles ached from the night before as he forged through his usual daily routine. His mind was as blank as canvas as his body took the automated commands of the morning. Just another day for Yukio.

o.O.0.O.o

Ugh, when was this stupid meeting going to start? He'd been there an hour outside of Mephisto's door now, waiting patiently up until now. He'd only had to wait about ten, maybe fifteen minutes on _normal_ visits, but this was ridiculous.

What was keeping him so long? Did he forget? The young teacher scoffed at the thought. _Please. Mephisto? Forget? Those two words shouldn't even be grouped in the same paragraph._ No, something was up. Something serious must've been going on. Ideas started forming in his mind, enveloping his thoughts in their ominous black ink. Yukio then started to wonder about the science of thinking.

Why did humans think? _How_ could they think? What made their minds so different from those of the animals around them? What exactly were thoughts _made_ of? Was it fluid in the brain, or something more? Something worse? Something he didn't even wanna know about?

Now the teen was thoroughly confusing himself as he questioned his sanity. Why was he thinking so deeply into it, anyways? Was he really _that_ bored?

Yukio was so absorbed in his own head that he'd failed to notice the door opening before him. Therefore explaining why it took the clown several moments and a poke to the forehead to grasp the young teacher's attention. Yukio blinked at the man.

The clown just grinned that evil grin of his. "Well then. Now that you're fully conscious, how about we continue this inside?"

He gestured for his subordinate to lead the way into the office. He nervously obliged and Mephisto shut the door behind them. Taking his seat again, he laced his fingers together and rested them on the desk surface.

Yukio took his seat and began with, "So, if I may ask, what's this about, sir?"

The demon smirked and brought forth a small packet of paperwork from seemingly nowhere. Sliding across the desk for Yukio to examine, he could tell Mephisto was smoothly containing his amusement.

The young teacher's eyes glided over the parchment and grew increasingly narrow as he got further into it. Soon enough, he realized just what this meeting was about, and he couldn't help but gasp right then and there.

Yukio would be _mentoring_. He read through the notice carefully.

 _Dear Mr. Okumura,_

 _Along with Ms. Kirigakure, you were chosen to mentor two unofficial students of the True Cross Cram School, Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase, in a three week time period. Ms. Kirigakure will be taking them in the afternoons from 3:00 – 4:45pm for seals, Taming and Knight sparring. You are to take them from 5:00 – 6:15pm for Dragoon target shooting, Arias studies, and medical instruction. This schedule commences Monday, on the 15_ _th_ _._

 _During the three weeks you will be excused from missions, Demon Pharmaceutics Cram School classes, and Special Training with Rin Okumura, as such duties are to be filled in by Ms. Shen._

 _-Arthur August Angel_

The scheduling would start the next week. Yukio sweatdropped as he realized they were referring to Neko when they said Mr. Shen would be filling in for him. The young teacher had a lot on his plate most of the time. He didn't know if the witch could handle getting Rin back to normal _and_ his busy schedule.

Mephisto had kept quiet the whole time, letting the teen absorb the information on his own. He was grinning ear to ear, but he didn't say anything as Yukio digested everything.

"Alright." Yukio cleared his throat, ready to talk. "Are there any profiles of these students?"

"Everything's in the folder." The clown replied, "I must say, these students are going to be rather exceptional. I haven't met them yet, but the phone call I received notifying me of their stay was from an old friend. He operates quite an elite… settlement. They're sure to excel under your instruction, Mr. Okumura."

Yukio swallowed. He took that as good news and nodded, shoving aside his doubts while in front of his superior.

o.O.0.O.o

Koneko's POV

It was nearly midnight when he received the text: _"Stayin' at the Okumura dorm tonight. Tell you everything tomorrow. Punch Shima for me if he tries to hide his dirty manga under my bed again."_

A huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders, but another smaller one took its place as Koneko began to wonder. Why would Bon spend the night at the Okumura dorm? Their rooster-haired friend came home at two in the morning on occasion, but he always came back to the dorm.

Did something happen?

Quickly, he relayed the message to Shima and clicked his phone shut.

Koneko removed his glasses, folding them and setting them softly on the nightstand. Bon said he would explain everything tomorrow. The best thing he could do now was get a good night's sleep and be awake and rested for the next day.

o.O.0.O.o

Bon's POV

It hit him, full force that morning. During the conversation the night before, it hadn't really sunken in all the way. Now that he was fully rested and eating breakfast (courtesy of Rin) his thoughts came to him a little more clearly.

Sure he'd acknowledged it. He'd figured it out when he saw Rin last night. Now though, the thought was ambushing him, head-on, and wouldn't leave him alone. His stomach twisted into knots.

Shima was crushing on Rin. _Rin_. Of all the girls in the world, and this one wasn't even a real girl. Bon had a front row seat during the scene in the shopping district. He'd seen Shima completely pour his heart out to their classmate, like he'd never wanted anything _so_ much ever before.

Bon knew that his friend was girl-crazy. He had seen the monk work his magic hundreds of times before. But never had he seen Shima act like that. The behavior was much deeper, and richer than anything Bon had ever witnessed.

At the time, he thought that Shima had finally found his one, true love. That the pink-haired monk was done hitting on other girls, finally locking onto a single target. Like an idiot, Bon smiled, figuring his friend was finally going to end his long career of failing at picking up chicks. Bon was so relieved that he'd convinced himself that if Shima somehow failed to catch this one, he'd track her down himself and give Shima another chance.

And that's what happened. Shima let her slip away. Only, Bon wouldn't be giving his friend the second chance. No way in _hell_ was he going to do that now.

Even when he was at the library and Neko told him about Rin, it still hadn't clicked in Bon's mind yet. It was when he'd seen Rin spill out of the closet that he'd recognized Shima's "blue angel". And because the whole ordeal was a difficult to absorb, the full shock of Shima's crush hadn't come until he was sitting there, eating breakfast with said crush.

"…have to wear the stupid thing, why can't I just dye it black or something?" she was saying around a mouthful of food.

Their teacher sighed, setting down his fork. "Because it's against school policy. You can't tamper with the uniform, no matter _how_ embarrassing the color pink is."

Rin crossed her arms and scowled. "Hmph. Stupid True Cross and its demeaning uniforms…"

Neko laughed next to her. "Welcome to my world. I've been trying to convince Mephisto to change the rules, but he won't budge. That sick, creepy bastard insists on having his female students dress like pole dancers."

Bon was marveling at the fact that Rin was now _complaining_ about the girl's uniform. It was understandable, considering she'd have to wear one now. It was still amusing though, seeing a once male classmate like this.

The monk-in-training knew that he'd have to play it cool today and stay in his role. He needed to be there for Rin, and act normal around his friends all at the same time. Usually, Bon avoided Rin if he could help it. Bon wasn't seeing how this was going to work.

He kept quiet though, eating his breakfast with the odd trio in silence. The teen was somewhat surprised by how well the three got along. They seemed like a family now, laughing with each other, casually discussing topics that would otherwise be considered taboo out in public.

Bon felt a pang of loneliness. He missed his friends, he realized. But he also felt contented here, sitting with the trio. The monk found himself wishing that his friends were here with him and the half demons. Bon blinked in spite of himself. Was that what Bon wanted? To string everyone together? Since when was he so lovey-dovey with people outside his circle of friends?

He shook his head and cleared his thoughts, bringing himself back to reality. Currently, Ukobach was squeaking something to Rin and she rushed into the kitchen. Apparently, one of the pots on the stove exploded.

Neko was laughing. "Oh yeah! I forgot about the Deadman's Toe I left in there! Sorry, Ukobach!"

A small stream of laughter escaped through Yukio's lips. Ukobach squeaked with an angry tone back at Neko and turned to help Rin clean up the mess.

"What the hell, Neko!" Rin shouted. "A little warning next time? AND QUIT LEAVING SHIT IN HERE! THAT'S HOW WE GOT INTO THIS MESS IN THE FIRST PLACE!"

The witch of the class continued to laugh, nearly falling out of her chair at this point.

o.O.0.O.o

 **So yeah, the Shima chapter will definitely by up next. Needed to get some of this stuff out of the way. And hopefully I can clear up Rin's dilemma before the second arc starts. I'd like to have Rin male again by the time I introduce Seaweed Brain and Wise Girl.**

 **Speaking of which…**

 **Additional Disclaimer: I'm not Rick Riordan. Percy, Annabeth, and Mrs. O'Leary are his characters.**

 ***Sigh* I think I might just label this as a crossover. There's no telling how long Persassius and his girlfriend will be here.**

 **Oh yeah, before I forget… I just delivered and amazing speech today! I'm such a hypocrite. It was about excessive cursing. XD I generally don't speak the words myself, but I do use them in my stories when I feel that the character would use them.**

 **And that concludes this chapter. I have nothing else to say.**

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	13. Chapter 13

Colors of Fire Ch. 13

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **Greetings, people of earth!**

 **So guess what I just did today! I went to the gas station and got my usual orange flavored Crush soda, right? We got home and fixed the treehouse door. Then I braided my hair (my normal braid, not Neko's), went to my room, started up my laptop to start writing this here chapter.**

 **I glanced over at my nightstand which holds a vase of peacock feathers (don't ask), my make-up bag, perfume, my hairbrush, and one of those Mio squeezy things for grape flavored Kool-Aid.**

 **I looked back and forth between my orange soda and the grape Kool-Aid, and I got an idea.**

 **So I opened the soda lid and squeezed in some grape Kool-Aid! It tastes AMAZING! I'm so happy I've made this discovery! I hope it isn't unhealthy, because I'm going to do this every time I have orange soda now! Yay me!**

 **Ahem. *clears throat* that aside, let's start the chapter!**

o.O.0.O.o

Izumo's POV

She'd been visiting the library so often that she decided to just get a card and be done with it. The girl was studying herself sick, trying to find out more on the subject of Mythology. But the more she read into it, the more preposterous it all sounded.

A lady with snakes for hair falls in love with the god of the ocean and a winged horse is born? What the hell? Some big bad titan King of Time eats his kids because they were fated to overthrow him? One kid survives and makes his dad barf up his siblings? Outrageous!

The shrine maiden pressed her elbows into the desk's surface and rubbed her eyes. This was too much for her. All this nonsense was just too much. Izumo was pretty sure she'd go insane if she saw proof of all this. And she did. That guy in the alley was proof.

She groaned and dropped her head on the desk, half-heartedly muttering an, "Oww…" She was starting to think that Paku was actually right about something. This was absolutely nuts. There was no way Izumo was going to believe all of this, even if one of those supposed "gods" dropped in from the sky for a visit.

"Excuse me, miss?" said a voice above her.

She raised her head only to be baffled by the appearance of the speaker. A couple of feet away from her stood what might've been described as California surfer dude. The guy was likely in his early twenties; bleach blond hair, a dazzling white smile, and playful, crystal blue eyes. He wore a plain white tee-shirt, swim shorts and sandals. The guitar strapped to his back ruined the surfer image.

The blond practically radiated the same vibes Izumo was getting with the guy from the alley, only it was twice as strong. It was the same aura, like she was the presence of some ancient spirit. It felt very similar to the vibes she'd pick up when she stayed at Inari's shrine.

It took the girl a second before realizing the dude was addressing her.

He smiled and blinded her with his teeth again, but he was patient. He was throwing off a sort of, _hey, I'm a nice guy, I'll wait for ya_ mood. Izumo waited a second to collect her thoughts.

"Umm… yes?" she responded.

His eyes brightened. "Awesome, you're awake! Hey, you think you could point me to the Knights of the True Cross? Couldn't help but notice the emblem on your notebook. I got someone I need to talk to up at the office, ya know?"

At first, Izumo was stunned that the guy recognized the emblem. After that she grew suspicious of him. What did a guy like him want with the Knights of the True Cross? And what was with the whole ancient vibe?

If the guy in the alley was only a _demigod_ , then this surfer dude must be a….

She didn't want to finish the thought. She straightened and stood. "Sure. Right this way, sir."

It felt odd to be calling a twenty-year-old "sir", but she knew that the immortal spirits could look however old they pleased. She learned from being at Inari's temple that when a god was asking for assistance, it was best to just snap to it without asking questions. When dealing with immortals you always aimed to keep on their good side, lest they blast you to smithereens if you didn't cooperate.

The immortal spirit grinned and said, "Thanks! You're a big help. Tell you what; I should've brought my sister with me. She _never_ gets lost."

With that he followed her to an inconspicuous, vacant door.

Izumo brought out her Cram School key and inserted the metal into the lock with slightly shaking hands. Turning it, she activated the gate and opened the door to reveal a colorful hallway.

"Turn left twice and to the right three." she instructed. "There you should find Mr. Faust's office. He'll lead you from there."

"Great!" he sang cheerily. "Thanks for helpin' a foreigner out! Not many people are that friendly with me."

Izumo was drawing a blank on what to say. "Ugh… sure. It's no problem."

Crap, she could practically _feel_ the blush on her face!

The god merely grinned. "You're really nice, ya know that? Here, take this. I get the feeling that one of your friends might need it soon."

He pulled out a small pouch of herbs and handed them to her. Then he turned on his heel and marched through the doors, repeating to himself the directions she gave him. The door closed on its own and Izumo was left alone in the library.

The stunned purple-haired Tamer just stood there. Wondering what the hell had just happened, she examined the herbs inside the pouch. They looked like a cross between nightshade and honey suckle.

 _What does he mean, 'my friends will need it soon'?_

o.O.0.O.o

Shima's POV

"Huh?" Shima asked. "Why would Bon say something like that?"

Koneko shrugged. "Don't ask me. That's just what he texted."

The pink-haired monk frowned in displeasure. He'd just been told to stay away from a _girl_. Both of his friends were telling him all the time to ease up on girls in general. But in this case, he was being told to avoid one in specific. It was unusual.

Shima didn't know what to think as of yet. Maybe Bon had a good reason. Maybe this girl was an assassin or a secret agent, and his friend was warning him or something. He seriously doubted it, but Shima needed _some_ kind of idea in his head before he actually complied with his friend's wishes.

"Whatever." he grumbled. "Say Koneko, how about we hit the comic store after school today?"

The bespectacled teen looked up at him with dismay. "And chaperone you the whole time? No offense Shima, but I'd rather do homework."

"Ah!" the pink-haired monk exclaimed. "C'mon man! Don't be so mean!"

Pretty soon Shima had forgotten the conversation and moved along with his day. The normal high school had been another round of usual torture. He noticed that there was a new student in his fifth hour, but Bon all but growled at him when Shima approached her. He guessed that this was the girl that his friend warned him about.

She seemed very familiar to him. But what was odd about her was that she reminded him of two people. And he couldn't even remember _which_ two people.

She had midnight black hair that didn't match up well with her skin tone, so it looked like she'd dyed it. It was cut shoulder length and a small bobby pin kept a few strands away from her face.

She was at the very front of the class, so Shima never got a good view of her face. She wore the uniform, of course, with the exception of a small black jacket, kind of like what Neko wore earlier. The way her skirt was hugging her hips reminded him of the one person that he couldn't name. The way she slouched in her chair and snoozed through half the class reminded him of the other.

Shima didn't see her again until Cram School.

o.O.0.O.o

The teacher had just finished attendance when the girl came bursting through the door. Her hair was flying behind her as she rushed inside and took a seat in the front, where Rin usually sat.

Noticing his classmate's absence, Shima couldn't help but wonder where the half demon was. He hadn't seen him all day. Not at lunch and not in the only normal class he shared with him, fifth hour.

Oh! That's who this girl was reminding him of! But who was the other person…?

Mostly though, Shima was wondering why this girl was sitting in Rin's spot. Mr. Okumura didn't even raise an eyebrow at seeing some random new student taking his brother's assigned seat. He just kept on teaching the class, occasionally slamming his book on the girl's desk to wake her.

Shima was sure that everyone else was thinking the same thing he was: why the hell didn't he introduce her yet? That should've been the first thing he did when she came rushing through the door. But the young teacher said nothing as he resumed the lesson.

Izumo was frowning slightly, but the pink-haired monk could tell that something else was distracting her. Koneko threw a few odd glances at the new student, but kept his mouth shut and played along. Shiemi remained quiet but scooted a little farther away from the other girl.

The only people who seemingly didn't see the problem was Bon, the teacher, and the girl herself.

Shima continued to stare lasers at the girl until she finally whipped around and shouted, "What the HELL are you looking at?!" It was the first time Shima got a full view of her face, and he gasped.

It was his blue angel!

o.O.0.O.o

Bon's POV

As soon as he heard the gasp he slammed his head onto the desk in defeat. Stupid Rin! Why couldn't she, for once, just keep her mouth shut? Was it really _that_ hard?

"Y-you… You're her!" Shima exclaimed.

"What the hell is going on here?" Izumo shouted. "Who _is_ she anyway? Why wasn't she proclaimed as a new student?"

Yukio sighed and rubbed his eyes under his glasses. The brunette's shoulders tensed, as if preparing for a particularly stressful next couple of minutes. He gave his sister a look, one of which she returned venomously.

It was as if they were exchanging demon-to-demon telepathy. For all Bon knew, they _could've_ been. They were both demons, after all.

After the twins broke their shared glares the young teacher took a deep breath and addressed the class. "My apologizes, class. A couple days ago there was an… accident in the dorm room where me, Rin, and Ms. Shen stay at. Rin ingested one of Neko's experimental serums, causing his- er, _her_ altered appearance. N-now can we continue with the lesson before she kills me in my sleep?"

Yukio added that last part with a wavering voice, for the first time openly expressing fear in front of his class. Rin was glaring at her twin with utter loathing. Bon could tell that the young teacher was genuinely at a loss for how to handle the situation, and wanted nothing else than to drop the subject.

Bon sympathized with his teacher, but the rest of the class didn't take it so well. The worst of which was none other than his pink-haired friend.

"WHAAAAT? YOU MEAN— AND I…"

After a few moments of processing, the monk turned green. "I think I'm gonna be sick…"

With that, Shima sprinted for the door. Bon cringed as he heard the violent vomiting session outside the door, his poor friend hadn't even made it a good distance to the bathroom.

Shiemi yelped and fell from her chair. "R-Rin?!"

Izumo's eyes widened in shock but she remained silent. Koneko looked lost, frowning at the classmate in question. Takara was laughing, _laughing_ in the corner. Yukio ran his hand through his hair and sat down in his chair, waiting for it to end.

Bon shot Rin a look that said _I'm sorry about this._

The girl looked like she was going to die from embarrassment. She tilted her head down, shadowing her eyes with her hair, refusing to look up. She was shaking slightly in her seat, but it didn't look like crying.

The rooster-haired teen heard the vomiting from the hallway come to a sudden halt. Bon guessed that his friend took off to one of his 'I'm upset and I'm going to cry my eyes out' hiding places. Sure enough, twenty minutes later, he received a text from Shima stating that he was in the bell tower, and to text him when Cram School was let out.

o.O.0.O.o

 **Yellow! Yeah, sorry it didn't get to the good part till the very end, but never fear! More Shima freaking out next chapter! And also an update on how the serum is progressing in Rin! Mwahaha!**

 **And in case you're wondering, yes that was Apollo. He's my favorite Greek god. I'm his demigod daughter in the world of fandom!**

 **Okay so I haven't had a stomach ache yet, so I'm assuming my own little experiment isn't harmful! Yay!**

 **Ahem. I've received word from the plot bunnies. They tell me evil things are to come. And I'm scared. Evilly embarrassing things…**

 **I think that's all for this chapter.**

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	14. Chapter 14

Colors of Fire Ch. 14

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **I was listening to Hang On Loosely in the car and it reminded me of Rin. Funny how that works… So yeah, this chapter is inspired by music! Pretty neat, huh?**

 **Okay guys, I need to get something off my chest. So many freaking plot bunnies. SO MANY! And all of them are for Fullmetal Alchemist! I even got a plot bunny in a dream. Now** _ **that**_ **story is gonna be a twisted one. I'll need to mentally prepare myself before writing that one.**

 **I'm also at a loss for how to draw a cool avatar picture for myself. I have no idea how to use Paint as of now. I think I'll just watch some how-to videos and try again later. By the time you even read this I'll already have a picture up, and it will either be my own crappy work or someone else's and I'll label it as such.**

 **So yeah, enough rambling! Let's get to the chapter!**

o.O.0.O.o

Rin's POV

Her day hadn't exactly been the best of days. Even the incident in the Cram School she was able to shrug off, but everything started going downhill on the mission.

Bon, Takara, and she had been assigned to take out a pack of naberius over by the old barbershop. The task required the skills of a Knight and an Aria. Takara, of course, sat back and watched the fight from the sidelines, so she and Bon were stuck with the fighting.

"Demon's Fury!" she shouted, slashing her sword toward the enemy, sending a huge barrage of concentrated flame sailing. The orbs of fire exploded against the rotten flesh of a naberius and covered it in a huge bonfire-sized layer of fire. The demon instantly perished and a statue of ash was left where it had been previously standing.

Rin wasn't really sure how and when she'd come to discover the skill, but she quickly found that it was more effective than her normal attacks. She noticed it was similar to how Shura used her sword.

One of the filthy things snuck up on her when she wasn't looking and chomped onto her arm. Screaming, she shook the thing off, further damaging the limb. With a venomous snarl, she sent the naberius flying into the side of the building. It was knocked unconscious and, in its weakened state, Bon went in for kill by delivering the last verse.

Rin hissed as the skin of her arm started to sting.

"Rin! Watch out!"

She whirled around too late. The zombie dogs plowed into her before she could even react, sending her sprawling on the parking lot pavement.

"Arg!" she grunted, lifting her sword just in time to stop one of the beasts from sinking its fangs into her neck. She'd stabbed it right through the heart, turning it to ashes in a matter of seconds.

Ugly number two lunged for her neck, same as the other one, but dodged around her raised sword in a complicated dance. The snarling naberius was right on top of her now, its face inches from her nose.

Suddenly, the beast disappeared in a flash of purple flames, along with the other five remaining. Rin pulled herself up, heavily leaning on her sword with her one good arm, and glanced up to see Neko casually walking towards them. The purple fire was still burning at her fingertips.

"Yo!" she shouted. "Didn't think I'd find you here! You looked like you were in a tight squeeze, so I thought I'd lend ya a hand!"

As she came to a stop in front of Rin, the girl noticed that Neko's wings were folded neatly against her back. Out of the seal. In the middle of broad daylight. With people staring from the sidewalks.

"Um, thanks for the hand an all but… why are you here?" Bon questioned.

The witch pointed to the sky above them. "I was flying over when I spotted the two of you. I was on my way to the library to see if they still had that old alchemy book."

Bon frowned in confusion, but shrugged it off and stood up. Rin's arm was getting progressively worse. She'd received a temptait, and even though she was half demon herself, she'd still need to get it treated as soon as possible.

"Hey, Neko?" Rin ventured. "You know where Yukio might be?"

The chimera tapped her chin, thinking. "He's probably at the dorm by now. After all, it _is_ seven 'o clock, and he said his mission would end at 'round six or so."

The pain pulsed in Rin's arm, causing her to wince. "You think you could give me a ride home? That stupid dog tore my arm apart…"

Neko's eyes brightened at the opportunity to fly with someone. "Sure! Er, if that's alright with Suguro…?" She looked at him questioningly.

His eyes widened and he threw his hands up in a peaceful gesture, not wanting any part of flying with the raven chimera _ever_ again. "No, I don't mind! Go ahead!"

Neko laughed at his response. Then she took off in a sprint and launched herself into the sky. She tilted her wings and turned sharply, swooping back towards them.

"See you tomorrow?" Bon asked Rin.

"You bet." she replied.

Neko hooked her arms under Rin's and lifted the girl into the sky with her as she passed overhead.

o.O.0.O.o

Shima's POV

He'd been able to get away with ditching Cram School, but Mephisto hadn't let him weasel out of the mission they had that evening. For the most part, Shima was actually glad to have an excuse to take that… event off his mind. He was happy to have a reason _not_ to think about it. Best of all, the mission didn't involve bugs this time.

They were investigating the mirror monster in the hotel again. Poor Shiemi was chosen to come along because of her first-hand account on the incident. She was shaking the whole bus ride. Shima evidently sat next to her. However, sitting next to Moriyama now held no awkward unrequited romance like it used to. Hell, sitting next to _any_ girl now felt like he was just sitting next to a friend. Someone he would never date, but still wanted to keep relatively chill relationship with.

Izumo seemed to pick up on this. She now sat right behind him, as opposed to in the very front of the bus, farthest away from Shima as she could get. Shima was a bit disappointed that the reason why Izumo was being nice to him was because of the ordeal he'd been put through.

Shima realized something just then. By thinking that, by being disappointed, he still harbored feelings for Izumo. Granted they may have been reduced to tiny embers, but they were still there. This thought comforted him as he gazed out the window at the passing country side. At least he wasn't _completely_ stripped of his former personality.

The whole thing had shocked him to his core. Shima was broken down and crying like a baby in that bell tower, and he felt so ashamed for doing so. Once he'd stopped crying, one of the janitors joined him in the tower for regular maintenance and cleaning.

" _Problem there, son?" the old man asked gently._

 _Shima sniffed. "You have no idea."_

 _The man grunted. "I'm not gonna pretend to know the solution of every problem, but keep in mind that the world changes. Nothing is constant, and almost everything can be fixed eventually."_

 _He sprayed the old copper bell and started polishing its rusted surface._

" _Whatever it is I'm sure things'll turn around in the end." he continued. "Twenty years from now you'll be looking back at your problems from the past and laugh. Mostly at yourself, but you'll laugh."_

 _Shima scratched his head. "Ya think?"_

 _The pink-haired monk seriously doubted that something like this was just going to blow over quickly. But looking at it from the old man's angle, he could see now that this would all just be a funny story to tell his kids someday when_ he _got old._

 _The monk smiled. "Thanks, man. Never thought about it like that before."_

 _The janitor smiled back, the skin around his eyes crinkling. "Eh it's no problem, kid. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a family to return to."_

 _With that the old man exited the bell tower, leaving Shima thinking about the world and how things always seem to work out on their own._

Ever since the encounter with the old man, Shima had been thinking about the situation over and over again. He still found it painful to directly address the issue in his mind, which was why he chose to avoid it for now. Shima wasn't so freaked out anymore, realizing that the dilemma would just be a temporary hell.

As The pink-haired monk and his fellow Exwires got closer and closer to their destination, he let go of his thoughts and wiped his mind blank. Blank was the best state a mind could be in. Absolutely nothing to worry about, just plain whiteness all around.

" _I wouldn't be too sure about that, Renzo."_ a distant voice cackled.

Shima was thoroughly startled, but when he opened his eyes he saw the same white void all around him. Momentarily panicking, he let out an undignified sound and glanced around his habitat, looking for the speaker.

" _I am called by many names,"_ the voice continued, _"I am God. I am One, I am All. And I am Truth. I am also You."_

Suddenly a white transparent figure outlined in black smoke appeared before him, grinning with disturbingly sharp teeth. It was vaguely human, about the size of Shima himself. It had no eyes that Shima could see, but he got the feeling that the thing was looking right _into him._ Into his soul, his being, his existence.

Shima knew that he couldn't hide anything from this monster. And he was terrified. Suddenly he forgot all about the mission, his time and place in the universe. All he was aware of was the fear.

Truth let out a fit of cold laughter. _"Sometime soon a foreigner will enter your side of the mirror. He will try to take what's rightfully yours. If you stop him, more than one life will be saved. I will give you the means to do so… if you're willing to make a deal. An equivalent exchange."_

Shima was practically shaking now. He had no idea what the thing was talking about, but he didn't like the sound of it. He didn't know if this was a trick of the mind, or if a demon of sorts had invaded his mind. One thing was for sure: he was completely opposed to making any kind of deal with the monster.

" _Come now,"_ Truth reasoned, _"I would_ never _lie. You can trust my word, Renzo. I guarantee that, even if you don't heed my warning, this man will still come after you. Take it from me: you_ don't _want to face him unprepared. He's practically immortal. And you are just an ordinary human saddled with an unfortunate fate. Let me save you! Let me save the people you care about! Let me save man-kind! All you have to do is give me something in return."_

The pink-haired monk swallowed. "W-what exactly do you want from me?"

o.O.0.O.o

Rin's POV

"I said I was sorry!" Neko explained, "The only way I can carry someone in flight is by the arms!"

"Well next time how about a warning?" Rin shot back maliciously. "My arm was already screwed up before you had me dangling in mid-air by that arm only!"

The chimera crossed her arms. "Well, we're here now! Go see Yukio!"

"Fine, I will!"

She stormed down the stairwell, carefully avoiding bumping her arm on anything _else_ for the tenth time. She made it all the way to her and her twin's dorm room, and she slung the door open carelessly, hoping to find said twin.

To her disappointment, he wasn't there.

Rin growled. She checked the kitchen next, but still came up empty handed. She was damn near ready to shout for him when he rushed into the kitchen holding a stack of suspicious-looking books.

"Rin!" her twin said, noticing her, "Where have you been?! I've been looking _everywhere_ for you! I called you seven times but you didn't pick up!"

She rubbed the back of her head, laughing nervously. "Yeah, I was on a mission. So what'd you call me for? What's up?"

Her disheveled twin fixed his posture and let out a slow breath, as if to brace himself for a stressful discussion. "We got a letter from the Vatican, Rin. They want us to report to their headquarters in forty-eight hours. They want to run a series of intelligence tests on you. In other words, their checking to see if you're even _worthy_ of taking the exam."

o.O.0.O.o

 **Ooohh! CLIFFY!**

 **Yeah, I ran out of plot bunnies for this story, so I'm making stuff up as I go along! I've got a feeling that this story will come to an end soon, because I'm slowly losing the motive to write it. I've got twenty or so plot bunnies lined up for Fullmetal Alchemist, and I'm just itching to write them.**

 **I'm so excited about writing them that somehow Truth has leaked into this one. That creepy bastard has no business being here, but at least he's making things interesting.**

 **Seriously guys, I think I'm gonna have to re-watch Blue Exorcist and get re-inspired. I'm running out of things to do for this story. I'll have Neko fix Rin soon, because I honestly think that's why I'm drawing a blank. Rin is supposed to be a guy, anyway.**

 **So yeah! That about wraps it up for this chapter.**

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	15. Chapter 15

Colors of Fire Ch. 15

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **Additional Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, or Heroes of Olympus.**

 **Hello, star children! No seriously, we're all just dead star dust. It's freakin' amazing.**

 **Onto more pressing matters. TIME SKIP TIME! YAY! We'll be skipping to about five weeks into the future. Yeah, FIVE weeks. PAST the time that Neko finds the tape, explains Rin's new female system, and past time where Rin experiences the system's function for the first time.**

 **I honestly didn't want to write that part. I have no idea how to write something like that, and well… for those in the male audience, let's just say I'm sparing you the pain of being scarred for life. Dudes don't need to know about that, unless they plan on becoming doctors.**

 **Ahem. I'm sure you're all wondering about Shima and his unfortunate encounter with Truth. And how Rin's test went. Well, I'm here to deliver the chapter that's going to answer those questions! Yay for me! Now all you gotta do is sit back and watch the magic. Lazy ghost readers. XD**

o.O.0.O.o

Neko's POV

It had been about five weeks and Neko _still_ hadn't found the reversal serum yet. The rat in the cage was completely white now. And for some reason, the effects on Rin were slowed. Not stopped. Slowed. About four weeks ago, the bluenette had confronted her on a rather feathery issue. Also, her hair was slowly darkening to black, which frightened the witch.

Neko knew what the serum was meant to do. It would eventually turn Rin into a carbon copy of herself. Neko needed to find a way to reverse the effects before time ran out. She'd already learned from flipping through _The Basic Theory of Magic_ that once the effects were completed, she wouldn't be able to do anything.

So there she was, in the library, racing against the clock to find the cure. It had been six hours since she ate last and she was starting to feel a bit light-headed. She'd convinced herself that the physical needs of her body were less important than her work.

Thinking like that, she knew would entitle her to consequences, but consequences she was prepared to deal with _after_ she'd succeeded. At times like these she understood Victor Frankenstein's thought patterns when he was building the monster.

Like him, she was desperate to finally finish her miserable project, so much so that she put it before her own health. But at least Victor actually _achieved_ success. With Neko, the finish line was nowhere in sight. She was searching blindly for the answer in a dark room filled with impostors of her real prize. It was frustrating. And it sure didn't help to have the weight of someone else's fate on her shoulders. Rin was counting on her, and trusted her to find a way to fix her.

Every day now it seemed Rin would look a little bit more like Neko's twin than Yukio's. Soon it would be hard for other people to tell them apart. Rin's wings were growing larger and larger as Neko came no closer to finding the answer.

The chimera recalled five weeks ago, a day when Rin had to present herself to the Vatican for testing. From what she heard from Yukio, the whole thing turned into a fiasco when they noticed Rin's new physique. The girl herself had tried everything in her power to delay the meeting, but the Vatican wouldn't have it.

So they paid the price.

Mephisto came in at a particularly chaotic moment to present Rin's newly edited paperwork, and informed them of the situation. The Grigori was finally satisfied when Mephisto mentioned me being involved.

It turned out that Yukio's forced twenty-four-hour mega study session had paid off. Rin proved a worthy candidate for the Exorcist Authorization Exam, just barely passing, as usual. Rin was shaken by it, though. It was then that she realized the realness of her situation, and reluctantly asked Yukio for some extra help with studying. Although, a week ago Yukio said he'd be mentoring a couple of students from America, so he left Rin in her care at around five o' clock each day.

So Neko gave her some thick, Cram School issued text books and locked her in her room. Yukio usually came home within an hour or so anyway, so Neko didn't see it as a big deal. Rin didn't even mind.

She was using this time to research foreign methods of magic. Neko skimmed through yet another useless, musty old book that didn't even look like it was going to be any help. Her eyes were tired of looking. And she was frighteningly close to passing out from exhaustion. Just then, something caught her eye.

"Shadow-to-soul Reconstruction…" she mumbled aloud.

There was a diagram of the magic being performed. It was an old technique of returning something to its original state, like a shattered vase back to one piece again. Apparently, it also worked on living beings, and that was the soul part.

The chimera's eyes widened.

o.O.0.O.o

Bon's POV

It had been five weeks since Rin was "magically" changed into a girl. Five weeks for Rin to get used to her new body, and new personality. Bon figured it was only the physical body that changed, but he was sorely wrong.

Now Rin was officially sassier than Neko. And that was saying a lot. Neko was the sass _queen_. Any guy who dared hit on Rin received a swat upside the head and a thorough yelling at. The rooster-haired teen himself was a bit hesitant to approach his moody classmate.

That aside, Rin was just her normal, carefree lazy-ass self again. She'd gotten over it and moved on. She acted like everything was as it should've been. If Bon didn't think about it too much, he would subconsciously think that she'd been a girl for her whole life. Everything came naturally to her, being a female. Eventually she started wearing make-up, gossiping with other girls, and Bon even saw her wink at a couple of guys that she didn't _completely_ loathe.

If the monk-in-training thought about it in-depth, his mind chased itself in circles with worry that one of these days she'd turn up at school holding hands with a newly-acquired boyfriend. Quite frankly, it scared him. He knew if he mentioned this to her she'd flip out and probably try to burn him.

He didn't want to break the news to Rin. He didn't want to be the one to tell her, _"Hey, you're starting to act like an actual girl now."_ Perhaps she already knew, and she was just accepting it. If Bon didn't know any better, he would've thought that Rin was enjoying being the opposite gender.

With her slow transformation of looking more and more like Neko each day, it was like Bon didn't even know Rin anymore. That the old Rin was gone now. But when they were in the Cram School, everything was the same as it always had been. Rin was still competitive with him, still slept through some of the classes, but Bon noted that she'd been doing less of that now. She still barely passed the quizzes. It was disturbing to watch.

Bon sighed as he heard another groan of pain coming from the other side of his dorm room. Another issue resurfaced in his mind. Since the day of his last mission, Shima had been in constant pain. Pain that he said originated from his chest. He and Koneko had forced their pink-haired friend to visit the hospital, but nothing was wrong with him.

Bon asked him what happened during the mission, but for some odd reason, Shima refused to talk about it. The rooster-haired teen had a sneaking suspicion that whatever occurred that day was in direct relation to that mission.

Still, Shima complained like no tomorrow about the pain, all while stubbornly refusing to say anything about it. It was pissing Bon off to the point of wanting to wring his friend's neck. Something was wrong, something that even the doctor's couldn't detect, and Shima was the only one who knew what it was.

Even Shiemi and Izumo didn't know, and they'd been there the moment the pain started. Shiemi said that whatever it was she couldn't treat it. Izumo recalled hearing Shima scream out of nowhere. When she'd come to see what he was screaming about he refused to tell even _her_ what was wrong.

Bon had tried and failed many times to get Shima to talk. He was considering hypnosis at this point.

o.O.0.O.o

Percy's POV

He'd fought thousands of baffling enemies, stopped wars, saved the world multiple times, held the sky on his shoulders, and even been to hell and back. But nothing prepared him for the world of exorcists.

Percy always thought exorcists were bald men dressed in black robes that wore giant silver crosses around their necks and carried bibles everywhere they went. He'd been right about the robes, but nothing else.

Exorcists were fighters. Their combat techniques differed and divided into five classes: Aria (Annabeth was very interested in this), Dragoon, Doctor, Tamer, and Knight (which was more his style). And he begrudgingly admitted that they weren't half-bad at their job, either. These people knew how to take down demons with ease, and most of them could be killed by speaking their so called "fatal verse".

Percy felt a bit slighted by this, seeing as how these people could generally _talk_ their enemies to death, as opposed to getting off their lazy butts and slicing the beast's head off. That was what Knights did, but Percy couldn't help but feel unappreciated.

None-the-less, their first teacher, Ms. Kiri-something was one amazing swordswoman. She could even slice the air and a cool looking zig-zaggy lightning bolt shot toward the enemy. Although, when faced with a well-trained Greek hero, who'd been slaying monsters and sparing since the age of twelve, he proved to be a worthy challenge for her. She was used to taking out massive hordes of demons that, like monsters, turned to dust when killed. Their instructor wasn't bad at sword-on-sword combat per se, but she was rusty at it. Percy could tell from the moment their blades met.

Even though the other half of her teachings, Taming, proved useless to both him and Annabeth, he still liked sparing with her. He liked that she didn't go easy on him. Annabeth, however, had taken more interest in Mr. Okumura, who taught medical healing, shooting, and Aria studies. She was absolutely useless with a gun (don't tell her he said that), but she excelled at Arias and memorizing medical procedure.

Percy didn't hate Mr. Okumura, he was actually a nice guy and, surprisingly, he was even younger than them. About fifteen. He was polite and considerate. But his subject was what Percy loathed with a passion. He'd tried his very best to remain awake, but the teachings were more boring than the summer Connor and Travis left camp to visit their human-side relatives. The kid teacher slammed a book onto Percy's desk to wake him, looking irritated, which shocked him. The last thing Percy expected on this trip was to be scorned by a kid two years younger than him.

"You're almost as bad as Rin…" he grumbled, returning to his lecture at the front of the room.

Annabeth gave him a stern look, but said nothing as she returned her undivided attention towards the fascinating adult-kid. Percy merely let out a quiet yawn, pressed his elbows into the desk, and propped his chin up in his closed fists. It would be another twenty minutes before he fell asleep again.

o.O.0.O.o

 **My back hurts. I've been sitting in my chair, hunched over the keyboard for hours on end. If anyone says that writing isn't a sport that leaves you sore and achy that person needs to be swatted upside the head. By Neko.**

 **I swear writing should be in the Olympics.**

 **So yeah, Neko's found a lead, Rin is starting to act like a girl, something's wrong with Shima, and Persassius has entered the building! Yay!**

 **By moving the story along like this I feel as though I've rekindled my interest in this story. I've got a long way to go before I'm excited about writing more chapters, but I'll get there eventually. Hopefully I'll receive some plot bunnies that aren't in relation to Fullmetal Alchemist.**

 **And I honestly hope that I don't get another plot bunny in a dream. The one I'm planning on using for FMA is seriously freaky. I'll probably end up giving readers and myself nightmares from it. Although, I don't plan on writing that one for a while. I want to write a few FMA fanfics and get the feel for it before I go ahead and try to write something like that.**

 **I'll need to write a few chimera stories to prepare myself.**

 **And that's that. Enough FMA talk! For now on, besides Shima's issue, I'll shut up about it and write what this story was originally centered on: Blue Exorcist!**

 **And… I've got nothing left to say.**

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	16. Chapter 16

Colors of Fire Ch. 16

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **I'm convinced my back has arthritis. I even had a day off of writing yesterday because I had drama rehearsal, but my spine insists on torturing me.**

 **Guess what? I drew an anime style person on my computer! She has black hair, red eyes, and is wearing a blue shirt and a bow in her hair! Yay me!**

 **Only, it SUCKS! One of the eyes is not at the angle it needs to be at and I'm using Paint, so I can't exactly fix it. It ruins the whole picture and I'm ashamed of myself. *Sigh* Maybe I'll try again in a few days. And watch more how-to videos in the meantime.**

 **Yeah, I'm thinking I'll just use a picture from google as my profile picture. I'm a terrible artist and I have no talent. It's decided! I shall use that one picture I found a long time ago and liked.**

 **And I'm rambling about off topic stuff… again.**

 **This story will be coming to a close soon. Keep in mind that I didn't plan on making a masterpiece when I started writing this. This story was kind of like a warm-up. Eventually I'll get better at writing the more I do it, but as of now I'm still new to fanfiction.**

 **Maybe someday in the future I'll edit and revise this one once I'm better at writing.**

 **Rin: Dude, just GET ON WITH THE STORY! No one cares about what you have to say!**

 **Hmph. Alright Mr. Rude, to the closet with you!**

o.O.0.O.o

Shiemi's POV

She tried to shove all her thoughts aside as she walked through town, taking in the bustling environment. Shiemi desperately wanted to clear her head but nothing was working. She tried meditating with varying levels of success, but even that wasn't enough.

So here she was, journeying through the busy streets by herself. Her mother had insisted on making her take Nii with her, which she didn't mind. Nii was pretty much her best friend besides Izumo. The blonde couldn't understand a thing the little Greenman squeaked, but she smiled at him anyway, assuming his thoughts were with her.

As of now, he was perched on her shoulder, hanging onto some of her hair for support. Shiemi always thought Nii was adorable. Cuter than any cat or dog for that matter. She understood little about having a pet, but she figured that Taming and keeping a pet fell in similar categories.

Izumo once tried to tell her otherwise, saying that familiars weren't pets, and deserved to be treated with respect. But Shiemi knew that all Nii wanted was companionship and nothing more. Shiemi was always careful to be respectful around others, anyway. It wasn't like she had to go to any special effort to keep Nii happy.

Shiemi pushed ahead as her thoughts began to envelope her mind once more.

A few weeks ago she'd gone on that mission with Izumo and Shima. She was terrified of coming back to investigate that… thing. Whatever it was. But, surprisingly, the worst part of the mission was on the bus ride there.

Out of nowhere, Shima screamed and fell from his seat, clutching his chest. She and Izumo surged toward him, but he waved them off. Izumo called an ambulance and Shiemi had inspected him as thoroughly as the monk would allow. Nothing seemed to be wrong on the outside.

Six hours in the waiting room and the nurse came out saying that there wasn't anything wrong with him. The girls shared a confused glance. That was when Suguro and Miwa showed up, panting from the run, and asked the nurse to repeat the news.

After that they took him home. Shima had been acting strange ever since. In class, he appeared normal, but it was evident that he was in some sort of pain. Shiemi would catch him rubbing his chest every so often.

As for Rin, he-, no _she_ had been acting less oddly than Shima was. Shiemi thought that was really ironic since Rin had gone through something so obviously traumatic. Over the last few weeks, the bluenette slowly changed into a blackette. Neko had explained the situation to the class one day when she was teaching. It didn't diminish the confusion, but it was better than her not telling them anything at all and leaving them wondering.

Shiemi noticed Rin's transition over the five week time period, perhaps more than anyone else. The newly turned girl would talk to her more often and with more ease. Rin even started wearing make-up and styling her hair. Shiemi didn't even wear make-up, her mom wouldn't let her. As for her hair, there wasn't much she could do with it being so short.

The blonde couldn't help but feel jealous of her friend, in a twisted sort of way. Shiemi always wanted to have long hair, but it was inconvenient for gardening. She would've grown it out and just put it up, but her mother said that shorter hair was easier to take care of.

She halted in her route when Nii started jumping up and down and squeaking meaningfully.

"What is it, Nii?" she asked him aloud.

The little Greenman pointed to an alley just around a corner they were about to pass, indicating through his body language that he wanted her to go down the dark corridor.

She frowned. "What's wrong, Nii? Is there something down there?"

Shiemi was getting confused now. Nii didn't usually act like this. Come to think of it, he never really made an effort to tell her something before. He was going nuts now, playing a game of charades to get her to advance down the deserted pathway.

Shrugging, she strided toward Nii's coaxing. The Greenman, satisfied, sat down on her shoulder contently. She inched forward, her apprehension growing as she approached a lone figure nestled in the corner of the dead end.

Once she was within five feet of it, the figure moved abruptly, but halted, letting out a small yelp of pain. It didn't sound human, but it was hurt nonetheless. The girl surged ahead and met the injured animal. A small light above them cast just enough glow to make out the faint outline of a dog. Shiemi knelt at its side and spoke to it in soothing tones.

Quickly she whipped out her cellphone and set the flashlight setting to "dim", shining the illumination onto the creature. Shiemi almost regretted turning on the light at all.

The poor thing was mangled and twisted in all the wrong ways. Her heart dropped into her stomach as she started to panic. _How do I treat something like this? I'm not a physician! What do I do?!_ Seconds ticked by, precious time that the dog couldn't afford to lose. The dog was going to bleed out soon.

Just when she thought she was going pass out from an anxiety attack, Shiemi got an idea. It was all she had at the moment, so she jumped to it. Gathering the canine gently in her arms, receiving a whine of agony as she did, she hurriedly left the alley and headed for the nearest veterinarian office.

o.O.0.O.o

Shiemi chewed her nails off by the time the lady came out with the news. She'd been in the lobby area for about twenty minutes, anxious to know what the dog's condition was. From what she'd seen of it in the alley, and how horrible wrong the animal felt when she'd held it in her arms, she grievingly assumed it wouldn't make it through the night.

But miraculously, her assumptions proved to be false.

"She'll make it." the nice lady informed her, "We want to keep her here for a couple months, though. Who or whatever did that to her must of intended to kill the poor thing."

"But she'll be okay?" Shiemi asked.

The lady smiled, "Yes. She'll be just fine in a few weeks. Thankfully it was just a few broken bones and some blood loss. Now, what's her name, and how long have you had this dog?"

She brought out a clipboard, pen at the ready, looking down at the girl expectantly.

Shiemi waved her hands and shook her head. "Oh, no! She's not mine! I just found her in an alley and brought her here. My mother would throw a fit if I brought home a dog!"

The lady laughed. "I see. Well then, do you want us to release her to a shelter, or is there someone you know who'd be willing to take her in?"

The blonde thought about it for a second. Everyone she knew was either students at True Cross and lived in a dorm, or a busy exorcist who wouldn't have the time to take care of a dog.

"No," she stated, shaking her head, "I don't know anyone. What do you guys plan on naming her?"

The lady's eyes brightened. "Well, I assumed it was Sandy, since she's got that golden coat. What do you think?"

Shiemi nodded. "Yeah, that's a great idea. Well, I better get going. My mom's going to get worried if I stay out too late."

The woman clicked her pen shut and filed away the clipboard. "Understood. Be careful out there, alright?"

"Thanks, and I will!"

o.O.0.O.o

Yukio's POV

"Umm, Neko? Are you sure about this?" he asked attentively, glancing over at his sister, who was strapped to a metal table.

The witch turned around and gave him that creepy smile of hers. Her one purple eye piercing into his own, her white eye cold and blank. She looked like a mad scientist more than ever now. Her health had steadily decreased. Yukio noticed her fatigue and prominent lack of eating.

All the while she was bright and cheery with having figured out how to fix Rin. Yukio's twin was ecstatic when she got the news. She'd been jumping up and down in place and squealing like a manga fangirl whose ship just became cannon. Yukio was a bit frightened by his sibling's change in antics.

The normal Rin would've been excited, but he would never do something like that. Over the past five weeks the brunette observed the slow and disturbing transition Rin was going through. The worst part was that he couldn't even tell if Rin knew about it or not.

Other than being tweaked to fit a girl's mind, Rin's personality still shone through. She was still a lazy dumbass who could care less about school. She still fell asleep during class. The only time the blu- no, _blackette_ \- actually got serious was on missions and the separate study sessions with Yukio.

Yukio wouldn't have to worry about Rin now, since Neko found a way to reverse what she'd done to him. Said witch was drawing a gigantic circle on the floor around the table now, occasionally adding rune symbols in where they were needed. The brunette could hardly wrap the concept of magic around his head, but seeing as how Taming worked in a similar way, he was in no position to question it.

He leaned against the wall over in the corner, watching Neko's progression from the sidelines, careful not to get too close to the chalk circle. He'd learned the hard way not to interfere with the raven chimera when she was in "mad scientist mode".

From his secluded corner, the young teacher ran worst-care-scenarios in his mind, going through all the possibilities of this going wrong. The witch told him that if anything went wrong with magic it would always backfire on the castor, and never the subject. That was, when dealing with huge transmutation circles. They all knew from experience that working with serums was a different story.

She'd explained it to him briefly before they got started. About how this form of magic, Shadow-to-soul Reconstruction, was used to restore something to its original form. And that this form of magic was much older and should bypass newer magic blocks.

All Yukio heard was bla bla bla, science, magic, and, "…Rin back to normal…"

Not that the young teacher was being narrow-minded about this and just wanted his sibling back to normal, it was that Yukio could tell Neko was just giving him generic background information. He knew that it wasn't necessary to pay attention by the monotonic rambling of her voice. She didn't expect him to actually _listen_.

So he didn't. And he should've, come later he'd find. Both of them should've been listening.

o.O.0.O.o

The witch made that odd gesture with her fingers, like she did earlier on that mission, and activated the circle. She'd given Rin a dose of some white liquid earlier, something she stated would put her out. Kind of like anesthesia for a surgery.

Yukio glanced at his sibling on the table one last time before he looked away. Satan seemed to have lost his grip on her, he noticed. Rin looked like Neko more than ever just then. Black hair, Spanish tanned skin. She lay on her side, her wings protruding from her back. The left appendage twitched in her sleep.

Yukio briefly wondered what Rin had done to deserve having this happen to him. It wasn't like he'd killed a human being, or tortured an innocent soul. It seemed as though the universe was intent on punishing the brunette's sibling regardless of his deeds. As if his heritage was enough reason to put him through this. The thought sickened Yukio, now thinking that _both_ of them possessed this heritage now. Did the universe want to punish him too?

Yukio looked away from his soon to be brother. He couldn't handle looking at his sibling, strapped to a table, practically helpless. Rin was blissfully unaware of what pain he was probably going through, but that didn't make Yukio feel much better.

o.O.0.O.o

Neko's POV

All was going well until the circle turned blue.

Right at the point when the magic took hold on Rin, Satan's blue flames erupted from the array. Neko's eyes widened, but she couldn't move. She was stuck. Enacting a magic circle did that to you. You were basically paralyzed until the task was completed. You had no say in what it was doing, you were merely there to activate the circle and provide a sufficient energy source for the procedure.

And what she was seeing inside the array was nothing close to the desired result. The unconscious Rin was shaking as bolts of electricity shot through her system, breaking down her genetic make-up and reforming her in the blink of an eye.

What Neko didn't realize is that Rin had _two_ original forms. Rin was a chimera of sorts. She was half and half of two separate kinds of organisms. One half human, the other demon. If Shadow-to-soul Reconstruction was going to work on a creature like that, it would have to pick a side.

Neko realized this too late. She was stuck inside the array, unable to do anything but watch. The anxiety was killing her; she knew that the magic was going to make the choice randomly. It was left up to chance whether Rin would emerge a full human or full demon when the array finished its work.

The witch couldn't even glance back to see if Yukio had figured this out. Currently, the boy was the only one capable to intervening. But even if he did something, the array would detect the foreign presence and assume that Yukio was also an intended subject. If the young teacher stepped into the circle now, he would be at the mercy of the three Fate's choice as well.

So with two people to worry about now, instead of one, all while being physically strained by her decreasing energy reserves, Neko was about ready to explode.

o.O.0.O.o

 **Oohhhh! She's at it again! Another cliffy!**

 **Ha! That oughta spark my interest in the story again! Mwahahah! I have BEAT me at my own mind game! I feel so accomplished.**

 **So next chapter we get to find out if Rin will be a whole human, or a demon. And if Yukio decides to be stupid and join the madness. This is all very interesting to me, and I won't have a problem writing the next chapter! Yay me!**

 **I honestly like the idea of Rin being a full demon, but I have no idea what Satan even looks like. He's only possessed beings in Assiah, so I don't know what kind of demon he really is in Gehenna. If Rin is only half of what Satan is, with the lion's tail and bull's horns, maybe Satan would look like a humanoid mix of those animals.**

 **But I also like the idea of Rin being a whole human again. It would get rid of the threat to the Vatican, and he could live in peace again! Find another way to fight demons, become an exorcist, and get a side job as a chef. All that good stuff.**

 **And guess what? I didn't add a single reference in this chapter! It was all Blue Exorcist! If I want to continue this story and make it interesting for myself to write, I'll need to get rid of Wise Girl and Seaweed Brain soon. And make sure Envy doesn't show up again.**

 **Envy: What was that?**

 **GO AWAY! I TOLD YOU TO GET LOST!**

 **Envy: Whatever. I've got better things to do than hang around with crazy authors anyway…**

 **Oh, and before I forget. Again. *lets Rin out of the closet***

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	17. Chapter 17

Colors of Fire Ch. 17

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **You know you've eaten a good fried egg sandwich when you need to take a shower and change your outfit afterwards. Most amazing breakfast in the world.**

 **I'm sure you're all dying to find out if Rin will be a demon or human. It has come to my attention that there aren't very many stories out there like this one. Maybe there are none like it, for all I know. Well, that's good! It means I've come up with a unique idea!**

 **Also, what the hell did Truth take from Shima? Did Shima even** _ **make**_ **a deal with him? All stuff that I do not know. I have to tell ya, I've written myself into a hole. And I have no clue how to pull myself out. That just makes it more interesting, I guess.**

 **I've done a very little amount of thinking for this chapter. Whatever I write will be a spur of the moment thing, because I've come virtually unprepared.**

 **That said, MARCH FORWARDS MY PLOT BUNNIES!**

o.O.0.O.o

Rin's POV

He was falling. Falling into an endless abyss. He couldn't see, couldn't feel, and couldn't hear anything. All he had was the stench of burning charcoal and the taste of cooling embers on his tongue. Not that that would bother him.

For some odd reason, the smell of fire was calming and soothing to him. He felt like he was safe, complete, at home even. All his other senses didn't matter at the moment. With his hearing out of commission, he had little to no knowledge of where gravity was. He could be falling _up_ for all he knew. Maybe he wasn't even falling.

His sight gone, there was no blinding light to scorn his vision, to harm him. There was no pain in seeing light if you couldn't _see_ at all. The only light that shone through his eyelids was dim and flickering, like the fire he smelled. Just then he realized that his eyes were closed.

And he kept them shut.

Without being able to feel, he had no awareness of his environment. He could've been lying in a blazing bonfire and he wouldn't know it. That's actually where he assumed he was. Soon he ditched the idea that he was falling and replaced it with an image of him sitting in flames.

Blue flames, he somehow knew. He pictured himself in a sort of meditating state, resting soundlessly in the warmth of his own fire. He figured that this was his form of sleep, how he relaxed his mind.

And he knew that if his flames were snuffed out he would wake up. Just then, he discovered that he could manipulate the fire. It was _his_ fire, after all. And he knew just how to control it. It worked in the same way as how one would move their body. Your soul tells your mind a command, the mind tells the brain, and the brain tells the body, the body executes the command.

The flames responded to his will as easily as his arm would lift if he told it to. He told his flames to rise, to increase in mass, to become warmer. Plunging him in a deeper sleep.

He didn't want to wake up just yet. He didn't want to open his senses and experience the world in its raw, harsh state. In the flames, he was contented and surrounded by a cocoon of safety from the outside world.

Information was pouring into his head from his subconscious mind. He was a simple creature, one who fought for survival just like every other living being. One programmed to defend itself when threatened, to protect a family eventually. To strive for peace, for a full life, one which includes no early visits from Death.

He knew all of his kind was wired the same way. Every last one of his species had the same simple code embedded in their DNA. This was the code of all living beings, no matter how different they may be. This was the code of life.

He knew, however, that the difference in the variations of life always sparked bloodshed. Such was the balance of existence. If the world held no obstacles, no reason to fight, there would essentially be no reason to live either. If every luxury were given to you, would you care to work for your goals?

No, there _had_ to be bloodshed. There _had_ to be the thick and thin of life in order for it to exist. If there was creation, there _must_ be destruction. This was why there was Death.

But in the code of life, living must mean _fighting_ destruction, and never _causing_ it. Even though at one point or another, a time comes in every organism to cause destruction, that only means that there is balance in the being. If an organism refused to eat because it pitied the plant it would be consuming, the balance would have its way in the end, and the creature would die. These were the simple codes of conduct that made up every spirit that inhabited a body in the material plain, regardless of what side of the plain it exists on.

Understanding enveloped him and he was again soothed in his sleep. This creature, _demon_ he knew, was in this state happy.

Well, he was happy until some jerk decided to wake him up.

o.O.0.O.o

Neko's POV

They'd been there for about an hour, watching Rin as he lay on the floor, bathed in blue flames. Yukio had gotten over the shock of everything about five minutes ago, and now he was sitting besides Neko, both of them waiting for the demon to wake up.

Neko took in every detail of the result. The creature in front of her was nowhere near human now. Although, he still possessed the basic primate body build and face, they were marred by the newer features.

Right away, one could tell Rin was a demon. A _whole_ demon. He had two large horns jutting from the top of his forehead that curved down towards his ears, similar to Astaroth's. His nose was pinched-looking and resembled one that of a lion's.

He also had the same lion-like tail, only he had front and back claws now.

His torso, legs, and arms hadn't changed much, but his forearms were slightly larger, like the front arms of a gorilla. His jaw was slightly ajar and she could see that he had an entire mouthful of canine teeth. His ears were long and elfin.

Over all, he was the same size as he was before. To Neko, he looked just like another chimera, only the mash of creatures was natural-looking. The only fur he possessed was the fur mixed in with his hair that gave it a mane-like look to it, and the fur on his tail.

"How long is he going to be like this?" Yukio asked suddenly, ripped Neko from her thoughts.

Currently, the young teacher was sitting against the wall next to her, hugging his knees to his chest and gazing over at his brother sadly. The question was tired and hopeless, but something told Neko he was just trying to end the long silence between them.

She returned her gaze to the sleeping demon. "He'll be like that until the day he dies. Now that the spell separated the human DNA there's no way of getting it back."

Neko hated it, but she knew Yukio needed to hear this. He needed to know that there was nothing that could be done. She didn't want him to despair over this, but she also didn't want him to try and fix it. Doing something like that would only make it worse.

Yukio remained silent.

The inevitable question hung in the air between them: _What happens now?_

What were they going to do with him, now that he was a full demon? He couldn't go out in public anymore. His dream of becoming an exorcist was lost now. The Vatican would never let him live if they knew what happened to him. And how was Rin going to take this? Was Rin even capable of organized thought now that he was a demon? What was he going to do when he woke up? Would he freak out and attack them?

And this was all Neko's fault. Everything that happened up until now was _her_ fault. _Her_ stupidity had led them here, has crushed someone's dream, and ruined their _life_. Rin had nothing now, and it was because of her.

She let out a choked sob, overcome with guilt and shame. Some witch _she_ was! _Neko_ had left her stupid serum on the counter. _Neko_ had suggested failed to anticipate the serum's effects. _Neko_ had found that stupid book in the library. _Neko_ had blindly walked into a trap!

And _someone else_ was paying for her stupidity!

Molten hot anger boiled beneath her skin, anger directed at herself. She was a _witch_ , dammit! How the hell did she _not_ see this coming! Magic _never_ had a guarantee! Why the hell would she be so careless!

She was a failed experiment herself, she should've known better. She knew better than anyone else in this world that chance wasn't always in your favor. In fact, it rarely _ever_ was!

"He's not waking up." the young teacher stated, once again distracting her. He was probably doing it on purpose. To keep her from tearing herself apart. For once, she was grateful for the presence of a human.

She sighed, "Yeah well…"

Then she got an idea. What if Rin's sleep was induced by the _flames_? Would he wake up if they went out? Neko was growing impatient. Another reckless move, she realized, but she didn't care. She was done with waiting. Whatever damage had been done to Rin's mind she was ready for. She needed to face the music eventually. And finding out when everything was still fresh in everyone's minds was a good idea.

She didn't want to try and reach into the fire to shake his shoulder. She'd learned from the time she was in gym class with him that Rin's flames did indeed burn her. So she went with trying to put out the fire.

Yukio gave her a questioning look as she stood, but soon cleared and stood with her.

o.O.0.O.o

Yukio's POV

Neko had gone off to find a pale of water and left Yukio alone with his brother. As he stared at his sibling, he'd come to realize just how at peace he was in his sleep. He almost wanted to leave him be and let him sleep. But he was anxious to find out if his brother was still the Rin he knew.

That had been his first fear. When the array stopped glowing and the light dimmed, it revealed his brother's new form. Yukio nearly broke down sobbing right then and there. But the fear had paralyzed him.

He'd spent nearly an hour desperately clinging to the idea that Rin's soul was still buried in that monster somewhere. That his brother hadn't died along with their mother's DNA. Yukio never imagined something like this would happen to them. Yukio had walked into this head-first, thinking that they'd just turn Rin back to his proper gender and get on with their lives.

He was thoroughly convinced the world was out to get him now.

Now that he was a demon, Rin's life was pretty much over. Yukio would never see that goofy lopsided grin again. He would never get the chance to apologize for how hard he was on him all the time. Yukio wouldn't get to say how much he loved him. His happy, care-free twin was gone in his mind. Dead. Never to return. Just like dad.

At that, Yukio had to choke back a sob. He was left with no one now. Not one family member. He'd held out all this time because of Rin. Because his brother needed him to be strong. Who was he going to be strong for now?

When Neko told him that there was no going back for Rin, he'd been pushed beyond the point of crying. Now he was silent, like he'd had such an overload of feeling that they just _broke_.

The only thing that was keeping him sane was the unknown aspect of Rin's mental state. He didn't want to think about what would happen if his brother was completely gone. But it was killing him _not_ knowing.

Apparently, Neko felt the same way, because she got up in search for a way to put out Rin's flames. They'd both come to the conclusion that Rin's flames were likely the cause of his slumbers. And if not, putting out the flames would just make it easier to wake him up using other methods.

With Neko gone, and his feelings sorted, he took inventory of Rin's new appearance. He didn't look all that different, only a few new features. For one, he had bull's horns and perpetually elongated ears, and, for reasons Yukio couldn't fathom, a small lion's nose. His twin also had the same tail, but his claws were full-length and sharp. With his mouth open, the brunette could see that all of Rin's teeth were pointed canines now. Other than that, he was pretty much the same, save for the forearms. They were a bit bigger than before. Rin also had some fur mixed in with his hair, which Yukio thought was kind of odd.

Rin could almost appear human, if you cut off the horns, tail, claws, and some serious nose-surgery and dental work. There really wasn't anything that could be done about the ears; he would just have to walk around looking like an elf.

Yukio didn't even know why he was bothering with thinking like this. It was starkly obvious that his brother wasn't human anymore, and nothing he could possibly do would change that. He didn't even know if Rin was still _Rin_ anymore.

Neko reentered the room with a steel bucket sloshing with water from the bathroom sink.

o.O.0.O.o

Rin's POV

He awoke with a start, dripping wet, in a place that he didn't recognize. As far as he could tell, he was in a building. He couldn't see the sky. He blearily opened his eyes, which were pitch black, save for glowing white dots in place of pupils.

He could see two figures hovering above him. The ones who woke him up, he assumed. He sat up groggily and rubbed the space in between his horns, groaning sleepily.

The figures got closer and closer to him. After a few seconds, his vision sharpened. The sudden detail sent a bolt of stabbing pain behind his eyes. He growled at the pain, but the figures —humans, he guessed— took it the wrong way and jumped back in surprise. One of them, the one with brown hair, stared at him in horror.

He halted his growling and cleared his expression, noticing his error.

"Well?" he asked them, "You woke me up. What do you want?"

The black-haired one spoke first. "Y-you can _talk_?"

He rolled his eyes. "Of course I can talk. Any other stupid questions?"

The brown-haired one spoke next. "You… don't remember us?"

"Can't say that I do."

He was about to ask then who they were and what they wanted with him. But at that moment, the demon got all the information he needed, in a most inconvenient way.

Suddenly, all the memories came rushing back to him.

o.O.0.O.o

 **Yay! Rin's in his right mind! I just didn't have the heart to turn him into a blood thirsty monster, after all that I've done to him. First I turn him into a girl, then a** _ **demon**_ **? Well, if he's going to be a demon, I'll let him have his mind.**

 **Sorry for the long chapters lately. I try to keep my stuff short and sweet. But I've been failing at that.**

 **I really like the look I've given Rin. I think he looks awesome. But oh no! What to do about the Vatican! I'll probably just hide him in the forest or something. Maybe I'll build a cabin for him, or even stick him in Yuri's place. Yeah. That sounds good.**

 **What to do about the others though. Rin won't be able to see his friends now. Oooo! I just got a magnificent little plot bunny! But I'm not sharing with you. I'll be giving too much away. You'll probably read about it next chapter.**

 **My back wants to snap in two as of now. I think I should get off. Before my skeleton decides to give out on me.**

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	18. Chapter 18

Colors of Fire Ch. 18

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **Oh my gods! SO many things happened while I was gone. First the power went out, and you all know how that goes. Having a writer's imagination, at midnight, during a power outage, and unable to sleep is NOT a good mix.**

 **Then, while I was at Drama rehearsal I threw up and felt like crap the whole next day. Yeah, that really sucked…**

 **And finally, I went to the Holocaust Memorial. It was very depressing. That's all I got to say.**

 **Back to the happiness that's NOT mass genocide, let's talk about this crappy piece of writing that I'm calling a story! I've got a couple of arguments and fight scenes lined up, but before we get into that let's check up on Shima, shall we?**

" **Onward and upward, Toby!"**

o.O.0.O.o

Shima's POV

Five and a half weeks went by since the great incident. He had a total of six weeks until the "red stone" would either be rejected by his body or conform to its new host. It was a painful process, Truth had warned him. But he never imagined he'd be so _miserable_.

Truth showed him images of the future, confirming his claims. He had told Shima that the dude in the pictures was planning on crossing over to Assiah to mass murder the entire country and make something called a "Philosopher's Stone", something that would make him immortal.

The guy looked like an angry biker whose bike was stolen. He wore a black leather vest with silver zippers, pins, and some odd looking decorations that reminded him of military metals. The guy also wore a black tank top underneath with black leather pants, a chain belt that was not unlike Rin's. With big black combat boots and some fingerless gloves completing the picture, the guy's outfit alone was throwing off some serious intimidation vibes.

He had cold, dark purple eyes that glittered with malice. Slick black hair gelled back Greaser style, and a nasty sneer adorned his face. The guy's arms were bulging with muscles decorated with scars and tattoos, one of which included a strange red one that looked like a magic emblem he saw in the seals & circles class.

Truth named him Pride.

The creepy smoke-outlined figure had made a comment about how the _last_ Pride didn't last so long and that hopefully, for Shima's sake, this one wouldn't stick around either.

Truth had explained to him what he wanted from Shima. The pink-haired monk eventually understood the equivalence in the exchange. His own humanity for a chance to save the world sounded like a fair enough deal.

When he thought about it, Shima was absolutely terrified to even _consider_ stepping up and claiming a hero's fate. That was Rin's job. At first, he had half a mind to say, _Sorry. You got the wrong person. Try the guy next door._

Shima couldn't even protect his friends in battle because he was too busy hiding and shaking in fear. He was a lousy Knight and he regretting taking up Arias since the very first day of class. He had no talent, no skills, and no chance.

He was utterly useless during the camping trip. He couldn't even fight a stupid hoard of moth demons! The only time he ever even made a difference was when he helped position the mirrors when _Bon_ had the excellent idea of directing the sunlight from Vatican Headquarters.

At the Exwire exam he couldn't hold out against the naberius long enough for Bon to find the right fatal verse. In the end it was a miracle that his friend even lived, because right before that horrible thing crushed his skull was when he found it.

The more Shima thought about it, the worse he felt. And his _stupid_ fear of bugs had been greatly hindering him this whole time. His annoying womanizing ways were a nuisance to everyone on his team and it only made everyone get along even worse. If Shima had only stepped up to the plate sooner, all of those horrible events could have been avoided!

If he'd been able to drive off the stupid naberius Bon wouldn't have had to risk his life reciting verses! If Shima had had the guts to stand up to Amaimon instead of laughing at his hair with his stupid childish antics he wouldn't have been smacked in the ribs!

Hell, if he'd been strong enough to fight Amaimon Rin would've never had to reveal his heritage! The Vatican wouldn't have been breathing down his neck and threated execution over failing the Exorcist Authorization Exam. If the Vatican hadn't been so suspicious of Rin, Mephisto wouldn't have had to request for…

…for a spy.

Shima had let out a deep, soothing breath. Truth waited patiently across the white void, as if they had all the time in the world. Which, they probably _did_.

The old man in the bell tower was right. Now that Shima had bigger fish to fry, he didn't have time to worry about his love life. This was so much bigger than himself, and he didn't even have the nerve to strike out on his own.

Or did he?

Shima eventually came to the conclusion that everything bad that had ever happened to his friends could trace back to his own incompetence. He got angry with himself and decided that he needed this. He needed a chance to prove himself. A chance to be worthy of being called an Exwire.

All his friends were working hard and fighting. Even the timid and shy Shiemi was helping out. Shima was tired of sitting back on the sidelines and watching helplessly as his friends got hurt.

He was done being pushed around and bullied by his own fears and doubts.

Shima had faithfully agreed to Truth's terms. The spirit of equivalence had taken his humanity and given him a "red stone" to become a homunculus, placing him on an even playing field with Pride.

Truth didn't give him very much information about homunculi, but he told Shima that it would be extremely difficult to kill him. Even slicing his head clean off wouldn't work, which Shima though was pretty bad-ass.

Over all, Shima came to regret making the decision so rashly. He wished he would've asked more questions, learned more about what he would become. He didn't even know if this was a guarantee, Truth told him that the red stone might be rejected, resulting in Shima's own death.

The white-outlined jerk had failed to mention this before Shima had agreed to the deal, and the monk was sent back to reality with Truth's horrible laughter echoing in his mind.

o.O.0.O.o

Koneko's POV

As the weeks passed Koneko became increasingly worried for Shima. He spent most of his time curled up in ball on his bed, groaning about his chest pain. They'd taken him to the doctor already, but he said that nothing was wrong. Koneko was seriously starting to doubt the doctor.

The bespectacled boy strolled leisurely down the garden pathway, his hands in his hoodie pockets. He breathed in the fresh scent of the summer wild flowers and glanced above him at the flock of birds flying overhead. None of which was helping him keep recent events off his mind.

Koneko often came here to clear his head and get away from modern society. Nature was always calming and peaceful. He found that he could walk in these garden trails for hours on end without running into any other people. No one came here but the gardeners. At least, Koneko _assumed_ this place had gardeners.

He never actually saw them. He only noticed how well-kept the place was. It was too unnaturally perfect to be under the weather's care alone. He'd also assumed that it was human gardeners that trimmed the shrubs, watered the ground flowers, swept the stone pathway, and…

He never got to finish the thought, because just then he heard a voice called out behind him.

"… Hey! Wait up!" the small, high-pitched voice squeaked, "I've got short legs, stop walking so fast!"

Koneko halted his wanderings and did a one eighty, only to come up short on spotting the speaker. Emphasis on _short_.

"Down here," the voice continued, "Yoo-hoo! Mr. Giant!"

Suddenly Koneko felt the leg of his trousers being tugged at and he looked down.

Standing right next to him and looking up at him expectantly with big, chlorophyll green eyes was a five year old girl. She was dressed in a simple, white sleeveless sundress and sandals. Her tree bark brown hair was braided and tied with what looked like real living vines and flowers.

"Um, yes?" Koneko answered, "And, uhh, why'd you just call me a giant?"

The girl smiled up at him, happy to have finally captured his attention. "Because you're bigger than me, silly! And you're dirtying the walkway with your muddy shoes! I just swept it not twenty minutes ago!"

She looked about as peeved as a sweet little five-year-old girl could get. From the girl's statement, Koneko figured that this was who took care of the area. She kind of reminded him of Shiemi.

He smiled back at her. "So you're the one taking care of this garden? Wow, you're doing a pretty good job, this place looks amazing."

She grinned for a moment. Then her face changed from complete happiness and pride to irritation and distrust. "Yes, and it's nice because humans aren't supposed to be here! And now that there _is_ one here he's cost me my sweeping job!"

Koneko could relate to her frustrations. He and Bon did their best to keep their dorm clean on a daily basis, but Shima always ruined their work. Living with a womanizing pig was tough, but it was just a room. So Koneko wasn't too upset whenever said pig messed up his side of the dorm.

Wait a second. Did she just say… _human_? As if she somehow _wasn't_?

He searched her features more in-depth. Indeed, he could see that her skin held a tint of green in it. Her facial features were sharp and imp-like. Pretty, but elfin. Her ears were even pointed.

Koneko guessed she was some type of garden spirit. She looked too innocent and peaceful to be a demon.

"Mr. Giant? Are you there?" she breathed as she waved a hand in front of his face. He was crouched down to her level so he was less ominous and threatening, yet the girl still persisted in calling him "Mr. Giant".

"Right, sorry." He asserted as he snapped back to attention, "And my name isn't Mr. Giant. It's Konekomaru. What's your name?"

She bit her lip, hesitating. Then she seemed to have made up her mind and answered, "My name's Minue."

Hmm… strange name. Koneko figured it might've been a common name among… whatever race this girl was.

"So are you an elf, Minue?" he asked gently. "I couldn't help but notice how pretty you are."

Minue giggled and twirled around for a second. "You are funny! I am not an elf, but very close! I am a tree spirit, Konekomaru!"

Koneko was impressed that she could say his whole first name without any issues. Most five-year-olds he came across couldn't even remember half of it, let alone pronounce it right the first time. Something told him that she was smarter than an average five year old human.

 _What's a tree spirit exactly?_ He wondered.

He'd heard of them, but never expected to come across one in real life. He mostly read about them in fantasy books. The Cram School never bothered to teach the students about them, or even tell them that they existed. Sure, they weren't demons, but it would've been nice to know about them. Maybe since they weren't a threat they didn't consider them worthy of mention.

Koneko made a mental note to talk to Shiemi later.

"That's cool!" he said merrily, "Well, you say that I've ruined the walkway with my muddy shoes. Would you like me to help sweep it up again?"

She stared at him as if he'd just offered her a stale piece of candy. "I don't know. Wouldn't your muddy shoes just dirty the path further as you cleaned?"

He tapped his chin for a moment, thinking for a solution. Then an idea popped into his head. "How about I clean my _shoes_ and then the walkway?"

She smiled and nodded. "Okay!" she sung as she took a gentle hold on his wrists. "Follow me to the river, Konekomaru!"

Koneko laughed lightly as he let the small girl lead him into the forest, toward the sound of rushing water.

o.O.0.O.o

 **So FREAKING adorable! Okay, end rant. If any of you were curious about how Minue's name is pronounced, you say it like me-noo. I think that's an adorable name.**

 **Yeah, I cleared up some confusion on Shima's part of the story, and gave a little cuteness relief from all the stress and drama of everything else by adding in Koneko's scene! And I just realized something! That means Minue is officially an OC. Not that I'm going to use her again but still, I'm kind of bummed.**

 **I think I oughta clear up the confusion with Rin next chapter and** _ **then**_ **start focusing on Shima's mini arc. That sounds like a good, solid sturdy plan. Not some rickety old idea shack that can be blown away by the storm of forgetfulness or a plot bunny invasion.**

 ***shivers* Please, no more invasions… I don't want to be locked in the dungeon again.**

 **By the way, any of you catch that quote at the end of the author's note at the top of this page? Know where it's from? A 2009 animated film based off of a Japanese comic, Astro Boy! I love that little robot. He's awesome. I hated how the movie portrayed him, though. The only noteworthy part of the movie is that constant mention of "Onward and upward, Toby!"**

 **So yeah! I think I'm done here. Until next time!**

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	19. Chapter 19

Colors of Fire Ch. 19

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **My room is where table space goes to die. Seriously! Not ONE table in my room is clutter-free! My desk is piled with folders, papers, notebooks, and loose notes that I probably should have thrown out ages ago. I'm a packrat like that.**

 **Why must I be a scatterbrain? Everything confuses me, and in rare cases, I confuse myself. It's all very random. Are all writers like this?**

 **Anywho, back to the story notes! I'm debating on taking Neko out of the story soon. I think she's caused enough trouble, but I'm still not sure yet. The plot bunnies say that she could still be of use.**

 **So I'll sit on that one and focus on the issue at hand: Rin.**

 **What am I going to do with him now that Neko's pretty much ruined his life? Let's find out together!**

o.O.0.O.o

Yukio's POV

He watched his demon brother as memories seem to crash into him. Yukio watched, perplexed, as Rin's face shifted between thousands of different emotions in seconds.

When said demon started blushing furiously was probably when he'd came across one of his more… recent… memories. In spite of himself, the young teacher almost giggled when he saw pure horror in his brother's creepy color-inverted eyes.

It was going to take some time to get used to this, Rin being a full demon an all. Yukio had immediately run through all the possibilities in his mind when Rin started gaining his memories back. He knew perfectly well what the Vatican would do if they found out about this.

He'd debated telling Mephisto about it and asking for his help. That was quickly ruled out when Yukio remembered that this was _Samael_ he was talking about. The Demon King of time and space. The almighty gambler and chess player.

Mephisto was trustworthy, but Yukio would only trust the man with help taking down enemies. He knew as soon as Rin was placed in Mephisto's greedy paws he wouldn't likely come out of them unscathed.

No, Yukio needed to think of something else.

What would Shiro do? Often times when faced with a tough decision Yukio would stop and ask himself that question. Their father had always been the right person to go to when Yukio was in a tight squeeze. He was smart, considerate, and wise. Hopelessly eccentric, but wise.

If Rin couldn't live among humans anymore, where was he going to hide? It's not like he could just shove his brother in the basement and call it a day. He'd first need to stage something, or arrange something to explain Rin's sudden disappearance. For once, Yukio was actually considering the "faked death" card.

If Rin Okumura was dead, then the Vatican would have nothing to worry about anymore. Keeping those fat lazy bastards happy, while Yukio wanted more than anything to wring their necks, was of the utmost importance, as of now. And he hated it, but he couldn't just tell them, "Oh, he died."

They'd get suspicious and likely send Angel in to inspect the corpse. Yukio needed to stage some kind of public accident with a large amount of witnesses. But how was he going to do that when Rin looked absolutely nothing like himself anymore?

"I can help with that." Neko drawled, picking at her fingernails as she waited for Rin's mental download to complete. "It's the least I can do, after all."

The brunette stared at the chimera in shock. "Were you reading my mind?"

"Yes. Forgive me for being nosey." she deadpanned.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. Then he glanced back to Rin, who was looking really odd all this sudden. He had a weird gleam in his eyes, like he'd just discovered the meaning of life and he was contented with the understanding that followed.

It was disturbing to see that look on such a demonic face. It was like seeing a cat swim around in a bathtub full of water, actually _enjoying_ itself.

Snapping Yukio out of his thoughts, Rin spoke, "So… what now?"

Neko gazed at him sadly, and then she and the young teacher exchanged looks. "We fake your death." she stated flatly.

"WHAT!?" he exclaimed, eyes widening. "You mean I won't… I won't see my friends again?!"

Neko sighed heavily. "Look Rin, we don't have any other options here. I only have enough magic to make you look human for about twenty-four hours. That's more than enough to stage your death, but not enough to live the rest of your life."

Rin's face crinkled in what Yukio assumed was a scowl. The skin above the small lion's nose wrinkled up, mouth twisting into a sneer. The eyes mere triangular slits of black void and piercing, white glowing dots peering out. It was a bit terrifying to see such malice on a purebred demon. Yukio subconsciously leaned farther away from him.

"So you're saying I'll never see the others again? That my dream of becoming an exorcist is crushed now? How the HELL am I supposed to defeat Satan without them?! How are they going to take it when you say that I've _died_?"

The more he spoke, the angrier his brother got. Yukio was worried he'd burst into flames and burn them all in his rage. Rin apparently saw the look on Yukio's face, because he relaxed just then. He cleared his expression, closed his unnerving black eyes, and let out a slow breath.

"I can't just give up." Rin continued firmly, "After all I've put up with before; I'd have to consider myself a coward to give up now. I'm still going to fight. I'm still going to kick Satan's ass. And I still need my friends by my side to do it."

Neko tilted her head. "You still have the same morals and thought pattern of a human. How is that? I though demons were naturally evil."

"That doesn't make a difference!" the demon snarled, "Demon, human, we're all the same! We've all got the same goals in mind and that's the ONLY thing that should matter! The only demons that you humans should be worrying about is Satan and those who are under his influence!"

Yukio was taken aback by this. "You- your… what are you saying Rin?"

Rin scrunched up his nose again. "You damn well know what I'm saying, Yukio! You're a demon too! And that didn't change you not one bit, did it?"

Neko flared her wings suddenly, angry. "Oh, so human and demons are the same, huh? Well how the hell do you explain why _they_ come over to _our_ world and attack _us_? How do you explain why it's never _humans_ that start the fight! HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THE CREATURE THAT KILLED MY MOTHER?!"

The chimera was seething with rage, something neither of the brothers had witnessed before. Her tone had made it clear that she far from understood the nature of demons. Even though she too was a half creature, it didn't exactly mean that she was a demon herself. After all, she'd said that she was merged with some kind of raven, not necessarily a creature of Gehenna.

Yukio was almost tempted to shout back and defend his race, but Rin beat him to the punch.

"Not all demons are like that!" he growled, "For thousands of years you humans have blamed our entire race for the crimes only a small portion of us commit! The demon that killed your mother was likely in league with Satan! Almost every other demon in Gehenna wants to take Satan down!"

The bluenette lifted himself with ease and stomped off to the other side of the room in a hissy fit, crossing his arms and turning away from her for effect. Yukio thought it was rather childish of Rin, but he could definitely understand his argument. He just wasn't sure if all that he'd said was true or not.

"You _know_ it's true, Yukio!" Rin argued, as of reading his brother's mind, "Quit acting like you're oblivious to everything! Stop questioning your instincts. Let that inborn voice tell you what's what."

Neko was currently sitting down on the floor, staring at the wooden boards as if studying their design. The brunette knew all too well what that look on her face was hiding: denial. Soon enough though, the mask fell and a dam of emotion broke. She started sobbing silently.

When she glanced up to find the two boys staring at her, surprised to see Rin's gaze, she noticed that she was making a scene. The chimera quickly wiped her eyes and stood.

"I need time…" she explained before she vanished into the hallway.

o.O.0.O.o

Izumo's POV

It had been a long time since her encounter with the surfer dude in the library. She was starting to think that his predictions had been false, and that there was no need for her to carry around the bag of herbs everywhere she went.

But she couldn't bring herself to leave it at the dorm. She'd thoroughly convinced herself her luck would have it that she'd need the herbs the very same day she'd choose to leave it behind. It was rather irritating, having to remember _one_ more thing in the morning, on top of everything else.

This day was no exception to her superstition. She'd brought the bag along with her, like always, tucked safely in the confines of her school bag. A while ago she'd considered calling her familiars just to ask them what the herbs were and what they were for.

She vetoed the idea when she remembered the last time she called on them just for a chat. They'd lectured her about "calling wolf" and disappeared after a very thorough schooling on how _not_ to call them for no reason. The whole experience had left her pissed. So she made an effort not to repeat that mistake again.

Currently, the purple-haired Exwire was barreling through the streets, hopping over fences and postboxes, and avoiding big crowds as she weaved her way through town. She was late for the mission, and surely Ms. Kirigakure would have her ass if she showed up half an hour past the scheduled briefing.

She'd woken up late that morning after reading a rather disturbing book the night before. It detailed the specific requirements for human sacrifice in one part, which left her feeling sick to her stomach for the rest of the night. She'd made a note to take that book back to the library that evening.

After hightailing it past the police station, she finally reached the building. Panting and out of breath, she stopped for a second. Breathing heavily, she only noticed her instructor's presence when the tip of her blade rested on her neck. Izumo immediately froze.

"Well look who decided to actually _show up_." Shura teased, her voice announcing the grin on the woman's face. Izumo was highly offended by this. The girl had only been late just this once! It was the first time, and the teacher was acting like it was the third time that week!

"Let the poor girl go already!" Neko's voice rang from the doorway, "It's bad enough that we're behind, Ms. Kirigakure. No sense in stalling further, yes?"

The instructor's eyes narrowed, then she released the girl from the death hold. "Yeah, whatever. Let's go!"

With that, the swordswoman leapt to the roof and stole away, leaving her charges barely enough time to catch up. Seeing the issue, the witch of the class suddenly took flight.

She actually started _flying_!

In her state of shock and amazement, she hadn't noticed that she was also airborne until her vision swam and swirled to realign with Izumo's surroundings. Being this high up, she found it hard to find joy in the ride, so she started screaming, clinging desperately to Neko's arms in hopes of gaining a tighter grip.

o.O.0.O.o

It was only then that Izumo questioned why there were only two Exwires on the mission. Not when they were given the introduction briefing yesterday, not when she arrived at the rendezvous point, and not when they reached the mission sight. No, she decided to question the stark lack of backup _right in the midst of battle_.

Izumo didn't know what was wrong with her. That was usually something she thought about way earlier. That was something she liked to bring up at the briefings.

But _right then_ , while fighting with the stupid demon?

The thing didn't even look like a demon. Even Shura had admitted she'd never seen one like this before. Neko, the witch of the class, was equally perplexed. It looked a bit familiar to Izumo, but she couldn't remember where she'd seen it.

It had the head and back legs of a fierce lion, the wings and forelegs of a giant hawk, and a tail of a viper. It was also the size of a pick-up truck, making it all the more challenging to take down.

Whenever Ms. Kirigakure sliced something off, it just steamed and grew back, in turn pissing it off more than it already was. If Izumo tried to send her familiars in, it would just bat them aside like pesky flies. When Neko screeched from overhead it only temporarily confused the monster.

The witch of the class was throwing all her best tricks at it, and nothing seemed to be working. Shura was exhausted and spent after about twenty minutes of sparring with the thing's tail. Izumo had long ago given up on her familiars, and took to throwing stones and sticks at it.

"Take THAT you ugly beast!" she yelled as she hurled another chunk of rock at its face.

The stone merely glanced off, but it got the thing's attention. It growled and wriggled its nose in agitation. Now it was slithering towards her, too fast for her eyes to follow. She sensed that when the monster arrived next to her she'd be taken out.

Ice flowed in her veins as she braced her body for the impact. But the impact never came. Because just then, Neko swooped down and tackled it, clawing at its eyes and screeching in its ears.

The thing bellowed a roar in return and sank its fangs into the chimera's arm. The raven chimera, not the…

That was it!

That thing was the chimera she read about in that book! It was the child of Echidna. Izumo remembered reading about the effects of the thing's poison. The girl's eyes widened.

Suddenly, Neko was thrown to the ground at her feet, moaning in pain and clutching her arm. When she hit the dirt Izumo heard a _snap_ as the weight of her body likely broke a wing. Izumo winced, but had little time to tend to her friend as the other chimera skidded to a stop in before them.

Its black eyes glinted with hatred, fangs dripping with green ooze. The purple-haired Tamer reached for the small chunk of asphalt next to her and slung it right at the thing's eyes for all she was worth.

The rock went sailing right for the left eye and crashed into the sensitive organ. It gave Izumo just enough time to retreat with Neko, Shura covering them from behind as they escaped.

o.O.0.O.o

Word of the incident got around and the Vatican decided to call in a couple of "unofficial Exwires" to finish the job. They'd claimed to know exactly how to kill it, and they were true to their word. In no time flat, the one guy's sword sliced through the chimera's head and it disintegrated.

The unofficial Exwires were called back to their studies and left the team to tend to their injuries. Izumo had a few cuts and scrapes. Shura was bruised and bleeding but she'd live. Neko was their main concern.

The witch had started shaking uncontrollably a while ago, and the doctors couldn't do anything to stop it. They claimed that the poison affecting her was none that they'd ever seen or heard of before. They had no idea how to treat it.

After about two hours of everyone running around like chickens with their heads cut off, Izumo happened upon the brilliant remembrance that saved their friend: the herbs.

She'd handed the small pouch to the doctor and said, "Can you try this?"

o.O.0.O.o

 **Heyo! I'm a bit disappointed in myself. It took me two days to write this whole chapter. I usually finish them in one day. Not up to my usual standards, but whatever. My back hurts and I'm not strong enough to complain excessively.**

 **Ahem. Anywho, I'd forgotten about Apollo's herbs and decided to use them here! Yay! Also, I managed to write in some not-so-happy stuff. I'm particularly bad at writing serious stuff so that was a major achievement for me!**

 **So I've been watching this squirrel out my door wall for a while now and I named it Jeffrey. It's so adorable! He stuck with us all winter and didn't leave! How cute!  
Yeah… see what I mean? I've got a **_**really**_ **short attention span. I'm the human that's riding along in a car and all this sudden I shout, "SQURRIL!"**

 **I also do that when I see a person walking on the sidewalk. I'm like, "Look! There's a person walking!"**

 **And that's all, folks!**

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	20. Chapter 20

Colors of Fire Ch. 20

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **Happy Easter to all of those who believe in that stuff! And good day to all of us who don't!**

 **I understand that by the time you read this it won't be Easter anymore, but my OCD won't let me NOT write that. So… yeah.**

 **I've noticed that I write, "So yeah" a whole lot. That's just how I talk in real life, so I often get the urge to write that as well. Kinda strange how it works.**

 **So yeah! XD**

 **Right now I'm writing this up in my clubhouse down in the woods. Neat, huh? Well not for me. I'm uncomfortable! I need my writing desk! Grrr! But you don't always get what you want. *sigh***

 **Okay, whatever I'd previously planned to say to you earlier is gone now. Let's just get on with the chapter, I guess.**

o.O.0.O.o

Neko's POV

Several days had passed since the experiment. Life had almost returned to normal, save for Rin's absence. Neko had started feeling pretty good about herself again. Even though she practically ruined Rin's life the still found a way for him to fight "Satan's army".

Yukio and Neko had decided on living quarters far enough away from human civilization, but close enough for easy visiting: Yuri's cabin. Both boys had been excited as soon as Yukio voiced the idea. He'd said that he kept the key Mephisto gave him a few months ago.

This way here Yukio and Neko could visit Rin on occasion, and the demon wouldn't get so lonely living out there all alone. All secluded and condemned-looking, in the middle of the woods, no human would bother him there.

Just as no one bothered Yuri during her time there, allowing for the eventual existence of the two brothers. Yukio liked the idea for all these reasons, but Rin liked it most because he could be close to their mother there.

" _I've got a good feeling about this place." Rin smiled as the cabin faded into view. "I'll get the place fixed up in no time."_

 _Yukio didn't look so sure. "Rin, if you fix the cabin, people might think that someone lives in there. You don't want to attract any unwanted attention. I think it best we just leave it as is."_

 _The demon raised an eyebrow. "Well how the hell else am I supposed to make it livable?"_

" _Guys chill," Neko breathed as she trudged through the foliage, "I'll fix the inside up and strengthen whatever looks due for collapse."_

 _Yukio frowned. "I thought you weren't strong enough to do that with magic."_

" _I'm not," she admitted, "But I used to know a carpenter. I've picked up a few things from him." She grinned at them wickedly and advanced ahead of them._

Currently, the brothers were at the cabin, no doubt making their last decorative touches to the place before Yukio finally moved back to the dorm building. They'd come to the conclusion that it would be best for Yukio to stay at the dorm, seeing as how that's where the Vatican expected the exorcist to reside.

If say, someone came knocking on the door looking for Yukio, only to find the building devoid of all life, it would certainly raise some eyebrows.

So to avoid a potential disaster they'd settled for separating the brothers, much to their annoyance. Neko figured that they'd be saying their goodbyes soon, and Yukio would likely send her a text saying, "Where the hell are you?"

And she'd have to reluctantly reply back, "At the hospital."

The chimera sighed from her place on the white bed. There was a curtain shielding her from prying eyes, but that didn't make her feel any less exposed. A nurse could've walked in there at any time and see a winged girl on the bed, freak out, and call for "support". Either that or the nurse would pass out and they'd have an unconscious person to deal with.

That had been her number one fear since they arrived there. Ms. Kirigakure took the liberty of whipping out her fancy exorcist I.D. and steering them into a privet room, calling Shiemi and _only_ Shiemi for treatment. The doctors and hospital staff had left them alone so far.

The medical Exwire was at her side as of now, wrapping her arm and mumbling something to her tiny Greenman familiar. Izumo was sitting in the corner chair, arms crossed, peering over at Neko occasionally but overall avoiding eye contact. Ms. Kirigakure was posted outside the door, scaring away anyone who dared come near the room.

Neko had no doubts the woman was competent enough for the job, but having been a lab rat for all too long when she was young, she still possessed that strong sense of dread that made itself known every time she visited anywhere having to do with labs, needles, or scientists. Naturally, no matter how safe her fellow Exwires tried to convince her she was, Neko was still terrified of that door opening to reveal a posse of grinning maniacs ready to rip her open and dissect her.

And it was at that time that fate chose a certain chain of events to occur.

Everything happened all at once: Izumo's phone rang; Shiemi yanked the final knot closed, causing a yelp from the patient on the bed; the door burst open, a stream of official-looking dudes in black suits marched inside.

"HEY!" Ms. Kirigakure shouted from the hall, attempting to shove open the door. It was being held shut by a rather imposing-looking black suited guy.

Neko withdrew her arm from Shiemi's grip and shot up to a panicked sitting position. _What the hell is the meaning of this?!_

Shiemi froze from her position, Izumo shot to her feet and started shouting, "Who the hell are you, and what do you think you're doing here?"

One of the Black Suits pushed her back into her chair and gagged her. Chaos erupted as Shiemi screamed, Neko ripped the IV out of her arm, and Shura battery rammed the door open.

Immediately a particularly mean-looking Black Suit lunged for the chimera on the bed, trying to hold her down. Neko shrieked that horrible screech meant for hindering large masses of enemies. The whole room filled with the sound of her terror, further worsening the situation. Izumo kicked and swung her fists only to have three Black Suits restrain her. Shura had been sedated ever since ramming the door open, now slumped in a heap next to an unconscious Shiemi.

Shouting and confusion could be heard from outside in the hallway. Doctors attempted to barge their way inside, similar to Shura's method, but didn't succeed. Neko could hear sirens through the haze of everything going on around her.

She jumped to her feet with bird-like agility and tried to shake off an attacking Black Suit. As far as she could tell, their objective was to capture or kill her, everyone else they were knocking out and gagging.

A Black Suit came barreling towards Neko and finally hit home: the steel needle sank into the chimera's neck. Her eyes widened. Her muscles started failing her, turning to jelly inside her skin. Energy drained from her limbs and she collapsed to the floor.

The last thing she recalled seeing was a smirking Black Suit with a gold tooth glimmering among a rotten set of chompers.

o.O.0.O.o

Rin's POV

He was hanging upside-down over his mattress, tail curled around the bed post. The demon was staring off into the distance at a painting above the small fireplace in the two-room cabin. A painting that displayed a girl twirling in the grass, with a family of hobgoblins watching her in wonder.

The girl in the scene was probably Yuri. Who else would paint something like that? Any other human wouldn't be caught dead portraying a person and a demon getting along. Rin had accepted the fact that humans weren't going to change their views on demons. But that didn't mean he had to like it.

He'd preached his own views to Yukio, who only half understood what he was talking about. Rin guessed that that made sense. After all, Yukio was only _half_ demon, just like he used to be. Even when he was a half demon, Rin had gone through several stages of freaking out over his heritage. Then he looked at things a different way. His way, or namely, the _right_ way. The truth.

He'd observed how Amaimon acted around humans verses his own kind. Rin had seen the way the Earth King treated his brother Samael. Rin had eventually came to the conclusion that demons weren't _all_ evil, but weren't willing to behave themselves in front of Assians.

This was where he stumbled upon the Satan's Army theory. After a few days of watching hobgoblins gather around Yuri's cabin, he'd come to notice how they acted around one another. And his little philosophical breakthrough before he got his memories back backed up his theories.

The hobgoblins treated one another like humans would their own family, which, in this case, the hobgoblins probably _were_ family. Rin observed how the two larger ones seemed to govern their "household" and kept the children in line. All while showing love and affection from time to time.

The smaller younger ones would play-fight with each other. The parents would sit back and watch, occasionally stepping in when the siblings got too rough. It was a very similar, if not the same, way humans raised their kids.

A few times, Yukio had allowed Rin to go outside for some fresh air. At these times, when Gehenna's prince was out in the open, the hobgoblins would hesitantly creep up to him. They looked curious about the young demon, but reluctant to approach. Knowing how Satan ran things back home, they probably figured his son would act along the same lines.

Rin, angered by this, became determined to show others that he was _not_ Satan, and would _never_ act the same way that evil creep did. Rin had crouched to the ground in hopes of appearing less threatening. He'd focused his vision to the wild flowers that sprouted in the bushes, making himself look busy but peaceful.

Slowly, after a few minutes of cautious observation, the parents inched closer to him. Step by step, they closed the distance after a long while. It was rather cute, but kind of sad, like watching a distrusting stray cat gradually approach human beings again after being rescued from abusing alleyway thugs.

The whole time this was going on, Yukio was watching from under the fallen beam on the porch, smiling. Every day the hobgoblins would nudge closer to the demon prince, gradually coming to trust him. It was a beautiful thing to see.

Finally, on the third day, the larger hobgoblin gathered up the courage to seat itself on Rin's folded leg and stared up at the prince, watching and waiting for confirmation that this creature meant them no harm.

Rin, being the soft-hearted pushover that only Yukio came to know, ever so slowly reached his hand over and stroked the area in between the hobgoblin's horns. This earned him an odd sounding purr, that he knew meant pleasure. After all, all demons knew where the sweet spot was.

The bluenette knew from his given instinctual information that by stroking the sweet spot it was a symbol of trust and affection. A gesture that said, " _We're cool. I ain't gonna hurt ya."_

Taking the symbol of trust, the hobgoblin licked Rin's hand and made a quiet barking sound towards the others, calling them over. The younger hobgoblins immediately took the "Okay" signal as a pass to climb Mt. Rin, and started clambering all over him. Rin, not minding one bit, laughed.

o.O.0.O.o

Yukio's POV

Yukio to chuckled from his post on the porch, and he shook his head. It was amazing to watch. The son of Satan, wielder of the blue flames, being tickled to death by baby hobgoblins. It was equally ironic and adorable.

Sadly though, this was the day Yukio had to pack his bags and return to the dorm. He regretted leaving his brother here, but knew now that he wouldn't be alone. It was comforting to know that, like Yuri, Rin was being taken in by the life of the forest.

Yukio disappeared from the porch and retreated inside the cabin to notify Neko that he'd be leaving for the dorm soon.

o.O.0.O.o

 **Awwww! Hobgoblins are cute too! I just couldn't resist!**

 **I suppose I wrote that part because I myself am out in the woods, all alone, secluded in my treehouse. I must say, I'm getting really lonely up here. No one comes to visit me. I'll probably be writing out here more often now that the tree house is finished. Which will likely result in more lovey-dovey stuff that I'm currently missing out on in real life.**

 **It's my own subconscious want for company that's leaking into my writing. Hopefully it will make my story more fluffy and less angsty! And maybe it I'll become a better writer! I certainly hope so.**

 **Anywho, I've locked myself in the tree house specifically to write and** _ **finish**_ **chapters. I've told myself, "You're not coming down until this is finished! So get going and stop whining!"**

 **Yeah… that's my new motivation for writing, so forgive me if my chapters seem a bit rushed now!**

 **And that's all got I to say! Plus I want to return to civilization now.**

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	21. Chapter 21

Colors of Fire Ch. 21

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring…**

… **and I'm back at my writing desk today! Too muddy to go outside, so I'm stuck here! Not that I mind.**

 **I suck at writing. I can't draw (computer or paper) to save my life. I'm a bad story teller. I can't talk properly. And apparently I have an accent. I've had a short, insulting day and fate has it that my day will only get worse.**

 **Yeah… I'm having one of those low self-esteem days. Boo.**

 ***sigh* Oh well! Who cares about me! I'm just an emotionless monster who tortures other people's characters in her spare time! I'm insane and I have no feelings to hurt… *sobs silently in the corner***

 **Jeffrey, will you write this one for me?**

o.O.0.O.o

Bon's POV

The happenings in his life where speeding by too fast for him to keep track of. Event after event after event… Eventually, everything had just merged together into one single problem: Neko.

Ever since this girl showed up to class that day, the Exwires had been pulverized, flipped upside-down, and turned inside-out. Bon discovered the true meaning of chaos in a few short months, and it was turning his brain to mush.

He lacked in his studies, fell behind in a few of his classes, and received his first B- since first grade. Bon was starting to get pissed. You knew there was a problem if your life outside of school was affecting your life _in_ school. Tearing out his hair and chewing his fingernails to shreds each night over getting his homework done was becoming a major issue.

And it all traced back to the witch of the class. Many times he found himself on the brink of despair over his recent tortures. His mind was liable to break at any moment, and the unfamiliar instability was driving him nuts. It was a loop of unending misery. Yet dread settled at the pit of his stomach whenever he remembered his position in all this.

He was supposed to be here to study and become a great exorcist. He didn't have time to deal with all the drama that came with being within five feet of that crazy witch. She was both a loose cannon _and_ collateral damage. It was confusing, frustrating, and downright _wrong_ on so many levels.

Never in his life had it occurred to him that he'd be the one to become involved with this kind of person. He'd always assumed he'd just avoid these people and skirt around them. But this one had planted herself right in front of him, blocking him from his goals, his life as a True Cross student, and his sanity.

Most humans would find themselves getting angry over this road block and attempt to forcefully remove it. Bon was extremely pissed, but couldn't bring himself to take it out on Neko. Something about her just yearned for compassion and understanding in that sick, innocent and child-like pouty manner. It was revolting, but it brought Bon and his inner humanity to their knees.

Just being around the witch was enough to pick up the mangled and twisted vibe her entire existence radiated. It was so very evident that she'd been tossed around, beaten down, and dragged through hell by her ankles. The fragmented, shattered light in her eyes expressed the deep, endless sorrow and suffering she'd been forced to endure.

Looking at her eyes was enough to gather all that in a single glance. Bon theorized that this was why Mephisto had taken her in and given her a chance in the first place. She'd come from a foreign land, learned an entirely different language system, and brought herself so low as to ask a demon for help, all while possessing all her tarnished past in the depths of her eyes.

Even on the surface her eyes displayed everything one could possibly want to know. One of them scarred and covered in cataracts, torn beyond repair. No doubt she'd lost her vision in that one, along with the hopes of ever achieving her original complexion.

The other held all her emotions in a single, concentrated spot. It would've been difficult _not_ to tell what she was thinking at any given moment. If you ever wanted to know exactly what the witch was feeling, one quick glance to her left eye would tell you.

Even during the brief period in which she actually _taught_ Mr. Parish's class, when she'd attempted to portray a professional air about her, the inner, maliciously abused animal occasionally shimmered beneath the surface.

Everything about her screamed, _I would give anything in the world to forget._

It was horrifying to be in the same room as her when she was insulted or berated. On the outside, she'd defend her pride and strike back twice as hard. But on the inside, Bon could see her silently agreeing with her oppressor, sinking further into the black inky prison of self-loathing.

One look at her and he knew: Neko didn't deserve this.

She didn't deserve to have to be here, fighting with them. She didn't deserve to have her mother taken from her when she was young. She didn't deserve to be mutilated and twisted into the painful creature she was. She didn't deserve the ridicule and sharp glares that came with the ancient heritage in her bloodstream.

Something, deep inside those hurting eyes of hers, was pleading with the world to end her sentence, to put a stop to the strain and stress that her mind, body, and soul lived with every day.

This was why Bon never said anything or complained. Just by looking into her eyes he could tell that she had just as painful of a past as everyone else here, if not more. It wasn't her fault that she was a walking bad-luck charm.

Which was why Bon was headed over to the Okumura dorm now, nervously twiddling his thumbs as he thought about the casual proposition he was about to make. Well, at least _he_ thought it was casual. He didn't want to make a big deal out of it or anything.

After about a half hour of walking, the building came into view. He noticed his hands were shaking slightly, but chose to ignore it as he reached up to knock on the oak door.

o.O.0.O.o

Shura's POV

Her vision came back to her irritatingly slow. It took what she assumed was a whole ten minutes of blinking to restore her sight, ten minutes that crept by like centuries. Here, on the cold cement floor of what looked like an old warehouse, she could use all the information she could get on her surroundings.

The last thing she remembered was seeing one of those black suited dudes pricking a needle into Neko Shen's neck, which caused the girl to collapse immediately. Her other charges, Ms. Moriyama and Ms. Kamiki were tied to the same crate as her as of now. That she could see.

They were all gagged and sitting upright, their hands and feet restrained under tight ropes that were digging into their flesh. Both younger girls were unconscious. It was uncomfortably hot in the room.

For some odd reason, Shura's hair was down. Either she'd taken the ponytail out herself or one of those bastards did, but she didn't really care at the moment. All she cared about now was finding Neko and getting out of here.

Shura started yanking on her restraints in hopes of breaking them, but to no avail. Probably made of strong braided twine, she guessed. They wouldn't budge, and neither would the crate behind them. Something stirred behind the wooden bars, growled slightly, and seemed to settle back down again, heaving a big sigh. Whatever it was, it was alive.

 _Think, dammit! Where are you?_

That thought had just finished when suddenly a door burst open at the other end of the large room. Five people in western style clothing marched in, singled file, each stride matching the other's with precise rhythm. The one in the front held a twisted tree branch parallel to the ground in both her hands. It looked like just an ordinary piece of wood to Shura, but little did she know it held so much more power that one would ever imagine.

The other four halted in the middle of the room and broke ranks to form a line. The woman who was in front stood about six feet away from Shura's struggling form. The red-head could just barely make out their features in the dim light of the lamp above them.

Black, waist-length wavy hair, black irises glittered cruelly. Her complexion was fair but vampire pale. She wore a buttoned-up white blouse, slim fitting jeans, and shiny black heels. Her lips were stained a dark crimson, as if she spent her spare time drinking human blood. Shura was seriously starting to consider that this broad was a member of the undead legion, or some shit like that.

"What the hell do you want from us?" Shura hissed as she ground her teeth.

Mock surprise swept across the bitch's face, and then was replaced with a pouty frown. "Now now," she pleaded in a sickly sweet tone, "No need for such rudeness, Ms. Kirigakure. We're all adults here. Surely we know how to behave ourselves, yes?"

The way she was talking, and her accent reminded her of Neko's. The comparison was crude at best, but Shura couldn't ignore the stark similarities in their clipped, fast speech pattern.

"I'll say it one more time, _hag_. Who are you and what the _hell_ do you want from us?" came Shura's reply.

"Tsk tsk tsk," the other woman tutted, wagging her index finger at her like scorning a child. "No one ever got anything by being rude. Unfortunately, we don't have all day, so I suppose I'll just cut to the chase: We want the chimera back."

"Chimera?" she echoed.

Neko wasn't there when she woke up. She must've escaped. But how? Last Shura saw she was falling to the ground after being injected with the needle. Shura smirked from her place on the floor, despite being chained to a crate and obviously in a dangerous situation.

 _Leave it to Neko to do the impossible._

She almost laughed. Almost.

"As for what we want from _you_ ," the black-haired woman continued in that disgustingly innocent tone of hers, "We're holding you as hostages. We've finally found our most important subject again, and we're not about to let her slip through our fingers once more. I'd love to stay and chat, but I have ransom letters to write."

She genuinely sounded displeased and unhappy about her statement. But then she laughed, as if she'd just told an amazingly clever joke, and turned to walk away. She tossed the wooden stick behind her for one of the four other people to catch.

"Now that the one is awake, we might as well start the experiment." she advised the group as she journeyed back to the door, "Let's not waste a fresh subject while we've got one, yes?"

The door closed by itself behind her as she disappeared into the hallway.

o.O.0.O.o

?'s POV

She slammed the doors open, starting the room's occupants, as she stomped inside. One man, the newest one, jumped out of his seat sending paperwork flying in all directions.

"Why haven't we managed to catch her yet?" she asked no one in particular, "Why does this keep happening?! I thought the Black Suits would be enough, but apparently not! Looks to me like our team's been slacking here, wouldn't you say?"

Her complaint was followed by a lot of nervous, "Yes, Ma'am" s and nods. The new guy looked like he was about to piss his pants, but he nodded vigorously with the rest of the group.

A gold-toothed man in the back spoke up, "With all due respect Ms. Lemere, I'd say the very fact that the beast has evaded us this long is because of us and our skilled scientists. If not for them, the chimera wouldn't have turned out so fantastic, so agile, so… _perfect_. I'd say it's rather a compliment to you and your judgement."

The woman considered this a moment. "Yes, I suppose it is… But in any case, we're still faced with this problem. We must have our 'perfect' subject back again if we are to move forward with our project. The evolution of man-kind depends on that creature, and I'll be damned if that cocky little fox escapes us again!"

She turned on her heel and began agitatedly pacing. "After _five years_ that chimera has been lost to our vital research. Our project was nearly ruined when that _bastard traitor_ stole her from us! He must suffer for endangering our life's work, and that… that _thing_ must be brought down. We will succeed in the name of science! And with science we shall achieve!"

o.O.0.O.o

 **And crazy writer is at it again! More cliché mad-scientist lunatic who wants to see humanity evolve! Yay! Yeah I know. I'm not very creative. And I hate that about me.**

 **Anywho, let's see… what did I want to tell you?**

 **Oh yeah! The reminder! Remember when I told you at the beginning of the story that this doesn't have a plot? Yeah? Good. This was what I was talking about. Notice how this story has been going pretty much nowhere?**

 **This is a first work, people! I'm not at all experienced in writing fanfiction! This here is my experience. And so far I'm doing a pretty shabby job learning. You know how practice makes perfect? Well, I'm practicing,** _ **and**_ **I'm doing it wrong. Which doesn't make perfect.**

 **I'm a bit scared that this is going to set in stone how I write my stories. If that's the case, then I'm sorry. I really do hope that it's just me being stuck in a cage here because of how I've written this, and not how I'm going to write in the future.**

 **Oh well. We'll see about that, I guess.**

 **And a special thanks to Jeffrey the squirrel, who made writing this chapter possible.**

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	22. Chapter 22

Colors of Fire Ch. 22

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **I'M CHEWING GUM! Just… thought you should know.**

 **Ahem. I have diagnosed the problem with this story my readers! It is indeed because I've written myself into a box. And I'm trapped by the concept of Neko and the events that followed her arrival! It's purely because I'm not experienced enough to write a good OC story yet.**

 **In order to practice writing the right way, I need to conclude this story and start with a fresh slate for another story! To test my theory, the fanfic I write after this won't have any OCs that are in direct relation to the characters.**

 **I like my OC an all, but she's just ruining the vibe. Ya know?**

o.O.0.O.o

Neko's POV

She was flying over the bell tower when she heard the scream. It pierced through the air like a sonic arrow, sound pulsing from the source outward for all surroundings to hear. If that made any sense.

At the moment, Neko's half-drugged, scatterbrained mind was kicked into survival overdrive. Only a few minutes ago she was struggling for her life. Now she was a few thousand feet up, swooping over an old church.

The scream, at least, she recognized as the voice of her classmate. Izumo. The raven chimera briefly recalled seeing the purple-haired Tamer being gagged and knocked out by the Black Suits. At the back of her mind, Neko had been worried for all three of them.

Now her heart dropped into her stomach as she heard the human scream rip through her eardrums. Immediately, Neko changed directions and headed for the sound, not even stopping to consider that it might've been a trap to lure her in.

An internal war was taking place in Neko's mind. One side wanted to hightail it out of there and save herself. To get as far away from her former jailors as she possibly could. This fear had been beaten into her since her first escape. A fear that left her incapable of casually walking into a doctor's office for a simple flu shot, and so on.

The other side was a newer, less rational side. It was also the prevailing side, which was why she was on her way to her possible death right now. She wanted desperately to save her friends. To protect her classmates and her instructor. The people who took her in and treated her equally despite her obvious differences.

She owed these people a lot. The whole Exwire class and all their teachers. When Neko came here she'd expected to be shunned and ridiculed for her heritage. But they invited her in with open arms and nonjudgmental smiles.

Well, except for Izumo. But that was just her personal way of interacting with her friends.

So now that engraved, set-in-stone instinct to run away from the "scientists" was bluntly ignored and shoved aside. She followed the sound of Izumo's terrified screams until they abruptly stopped.

But by then Neko had already caught sight of the building.

o.O.0.O.o

Shiemi's POV

She woke up next to Ms. Kirigakure, tied to a crate of some sorts, with two (what she assumed were) guards. One of them had a stick pointed at her throat. The other one was just smirking from his spot, arms crossed.

"Hey kid, you awake?" came a voice from her right.

Shiemi slowly lifted her head and twisted her neck to see Shura's concerned yet exhausted face. For whatever reason her hair was down, but Shiemi didn't exactly care to know why at the moment. She could just make out the line of worry etched into the woman's features in the dim lighting.

Suddenly a flood of unpleasant memories washed over her. The blonde groaned in pain as she hunched over, remembering that flying kick to her side. "I hope not…" she managed to whimper.

"Hey quit talkin'!" the guard with the stick interrupted.

Ms. Kirigakure snarled, "SHUT IT, YOU HIPPY! Before I come over there and shove my sword up your ass!"

She poured every bit of malice she could manage into saying that. The guard's face twisted into an offended scowl and he readied his stick before his partner intercepted the motion.

"Only for emergencies, bro. Don't want the boss yellin' at us."

The guard lowered his stick and grumbled something back to his partner.

Shura then turned to Shiemi and whispered, "You alright over there?"

The blonde nodded, but winced when the effort caused a stabbing pain to shoot up her spine. Where were they? And what did these people want from them? Couldn't they have just locked them in a room or something? Instead of tying them to a crate and posting guards on duty?

At least, that seemed like the easier option to Shiemi.

The medical Tamer was no good at stuff like this. She was always the damsel in distress, awaiting a flaming hero to come busting in to save the day. She was always the one getting held hostage like some sort of prize.

It was embarrassing to have to ask for help. It was embarrassing to be the only one on the team who couldn't fight. A while ago, Shiemi had almost gone to Rin for advice on how to be a better fighter. But she'd figured with Rin always on her team she'd have nothing to worry about. Rin _wasn't_ on her team this time.

Shiemi looked around at their environment and came to realize that Izumo and Neko were missing. It was just her and Ms. Kirigakure. A rueful sense of dread settled itself into her stomach. If only she knew what these people wanted…

Something told her that Shura already knew what they wanted, and didn't like it either way. And it didn't take long for the puzzle pieces to start falling into place. When the people in the black suits came into the hospital room they immediately went for Neko. Not Izumo, not her. _Neko_.

And when the people had been loading them into the cars, Shiemi had regained consciousness long enough to catch a glimpse of a really big bird flying away from them. Some of the black suited people were pointing guns at it, trying to shoot it down. None of it made any sense to Shiemi at the time, and she'd fallen back asleep. Now Shiemi realized that it wasn't a bird, but their classmate.

Despite her body's painful protests, the blonde shifted her weight and sat up. The action left her dizzy for a few seconds. She'd been willing to bet that the effects of whatever they put in the gags to knock them out hadn't worn off just yet.

Then, out of nowhere, she heard Izumo's agonized scream from somewhere down the hall. One of the guards laughed. "Sounds like the ransom punishment has commenced. Someone's here to claim them."

The other guard's smile was evident in his voice. "Yeah, and by the looks of it they don't have what we want."

o.O.0.O.o

Yukio's POV

"Hey Teach, got any idea where Neko might be?" the text said.

Yukio frowned and texted back, "She should be at the dorm. She'd not there?"

"No. I knocked and no one answered. When I let myself in the chef told me no one was there."

"Ukobach? How did you know what he was saying?"

"I didn't. He wrote to me using the white board, but that's beside the point. I can't get ahold of Neko. She's not answering her phone either. And by the way, where's Rin been? Haven't seen him for a few days. The Vatican didn't execute him, right?"

The young teacher bit his lip before answering that text.

Reluctantly he replied, "Rin's fine. He's back to normal now and he's readjusting. And don't worry about Neko. She's probably just out for a flight and forgot her phone again. I'll be there soon."

"Alright. I guess I'll head back. See ya Monday, Teach."

With that the young teacher snapped his phone shut and shoved it him his coat pocket. He slipped the garment on and buttoned it up. He ran a hand through his hair, making sure he'd combed out all the bed-head from that morning, grabbed the handle of his suitcase, and headed out the door.

o.O.0.O.o

Shima's POV

It had been decided that morning. The red stone was rejected, but by some miracle, Shima's life was spared. It nearly scared him to death when he felt the agonizing pain of his heart being deconstructed and reconstructed over the course of the six weeks. Truth appeared to him once again and claimed to have forgotten that Assiah wasn't solely governed by equivalent exchange like the other world.

Truth had been disappointed that the red stone hadn't taken, and offered Shima a second shot at the procedure, to which Shima vigorously declined. He never wanted to live through that again, and quite frankly, he was done with his friends hanging their worried heads over him.

Truth laughed at this and said something along the lines of, _"To make up for this failure on my part I will send in a replacement hero from my own world to stop this rouge homunculus. However, since neither of us benefitted from the last exchange, I still require a price from you."_

Shima gave him a cautious look, causing another bout of cruel laughter from the white outlined figure.

" _Think of it as an entrance fee. After all, you can't get something for nothing. You've had the pleasure of visiting my domain, and now I must take something from you. Oh, what will it be?"_

Truth had mumbled something about the price being smaller than usual due to his weak influence on this world. So he'd settled for taking Shima's beloved pink pigment and his natural black from his hair. Now he was left with pure white.

" _Woops. I've taken two things from you! I suppose I should give you something of equal value in return. How about red eyes? That way you'll resemble the people of Ishval!"_

Shima had no idea what that meant, but soon he was released from Truth's domain. He'd woken up with, yes, white hair and red eyes. Koneko yelped when he first saw him.

"H-how… why…?" his friend stumbled out, amazed at his friend's seemingly endless desire to look everything but what he inherited from his family.

The white-haired monk had no explanation for this one, and just settled for rubbing the back of his head and grinning nervously. When Bon showed up, raised an eyebrow, and later grilled him for answers, Shima made up an excuse.

"I was tired of pink!" he claimed, "A-and I honestly don't know how my eyes turned red…"

After a confused stare from Bon, suddenly the rooster-haired teen shot up from his seat. "You didn't get turned into a vampire, did ya? 'Cause if you did I swear—"

"Whoa Bon, easy! I'm not a vampire!" Shima stated as he raised his hands up in a nonthreatening gesture.

Bon didn't buy it.

Soon Shima had garlic shoved in his face, holy water dumped on his arm, a forced teeth-check from Bon, and a crucifix hung around his neck for good measure.

"You're clean." Bon deadpanned.

"No duh, I told you!" Shima threw his arms up in aspiration.

Koneko yawned, "Can we go to bed _now_?"

It was half past ten, and even though it was a Saturday, they were all exhausted from the day's efforts. Bon nodded sleepily, removed the crucifix from their white-haired friend's neck, put the garlic back in the fridge, recapped the holy water grenade, and dismissed everyone to their slumbers.

o.O.0.O.o

 **So tired. It's so late. And my jaw hurts from chewing gum.**

 **I like this chapter better than the last one. And I like that Shima isn't a Homunculus. If I** _ **did**_ **make him one, however, he probably would've been Lust or Sloth.**

 **I like Shima's new look! Not sorry if you don't because Persassius is rubbing off on me, along with his general "I don't care what you think" attitude. I think I'm going to read through the series again. The first one.**

 **And that concludes the ties from FMA in this story! No more Truth, and no more Envy. The conclusion of the PJO ties will be up soon. And eventually the conclusion of Neko!**

 **And then the conclusion of the story! Yay!**

 **I'ma spit out my gum, finish this here chapter and go to bed. I've had a long day, filled with** _ **two**_ **chapters and lots of candy. So… yeah!**

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	23. Chapter 23

Colors of Fire Ch. 23

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **Oh noes! Shiloh's chewing gum again! EVERYONE RUN!**

 **Heyo people of earth! Thought I'd drop by and add in yet another chapter. This one will likely contain either the middle or end of the current mini arc. Shima's was completed last chapter, so I'm ready for some action on this one!**

 **Now I'll tell ya, I'm no good at fight scenes. But no worries, I'll try my best! I'm not a slacker, so I'm not going to just leave you guys hangin'. I've wanted to abandon this story for quite a while now, but I'm not that kind of person! I SHALL NEVER GIVE UP!**

 **I will push through my misery and forge a brighter path!**

 **By the way, a little tip, 'kay? "She would rather light a candle than curse the darkness." This is a quote from somewhere, but I don't know where. Pretty neat though, right?**

 **ONWARDS MY STEED!**

o.O.0.O.o

Annabeth's POV

Four days. Four whole days of no teachers. Percy thought it was awesome, but she was a bit more mature about things.

"You think we should notify Sir Pheles?" she asked on the fourth day, finally fed up with watching her boyfriend sleep for three hours straight.

He snorted awake at the sound of her voice. "I'M UP!"

"Have a good dream, sweetie?" she teased knowingly.

Percy laughed as he hauling himself upright. "Demigods _never_ have good dreams, Wise Girl."

The statement drew out concern that was all too familiar from past quests. "Oh great. What was it _this_ time? If it's Leo again I swear I'll deck him one if he's—"

"Whoa there! It wasn't Leo!" he exclaimed, holding his hands up. "It was that girl again. The one from the alley."

The blonde laughed. "The one Mrs. O'Leary sat on?"

Said dog perked up on the other side of the room.

Percy grinned. "Yup." Then his smile melted when he apparently remembered the dream. "Yeah, that girl is in quite a pickle. She's in some sort of laboratory, being tortured or something. I didn't get a good look."

Annabeth frowned. "Well, I don't think that's any of our busi—"

"I saw Apollo too." he cut in, interrupting her again. "He was in the room, watching over her. Then he turned to me and gave me an odd look. I think he wants us to save her."

o.O.0.O.o

Izumo's POV

"… interesting bloodline… should prove… success… in the dark…"

She heard a mixed jumble of human speech around her, but couldn't make out complete sentences yet. Above her hovered a too-bright lamp so she kept her eyes shut. She could feel her arms, face, and sides being poked and prodded at.

Barely conscious and very much confused, she groaned as someone rolled her over on her side and started poking at the back of her neck and in between her shoulder blades. Izumo had absolutely no power or say in any of this. She just laid there like a useless piece of meat being prepared for the butcher's. Her mind was too hazy and scrambled to manufacture any real thought. All that was going through her mind was the sensations she felt through her skin.

Suddenly, after who knows how long, she was brought back to reality again.

"Yo boss, she's waking up!"

She cracked open an eye to locate the speaker, but found nothing but a blank white wall. She gripped the sheets beneath her and tried to turn over onto her back, but something was stopping her. Weak muscles, or someone's hand, she didn't know.

"Let her wake." an older voice rumbled. "Let her witness the birth of her new species. Ms. Lemere would be most pleased to know the subject's initial response."

"Yes Boss!" the first voice chirped.

It was then Izumo discovered that someone was indeed holding her on her side, because the person let go and she fell to her back. With her field of vision less limited, she could make out a few figures in the room. The person who was holding her up: a young man, mid-twenties, with rust-colored hair and glasses. He wore a white lab coat complete with injection needles clipped to a pocket.

Another figure, what Izumo assumed was the doorman. This guy was big a burly with a mean scowl perpetually in place. His arms where crossed over his barrel chest, his bulging biceps displaying the overkill tough-guy look. He wore a crisp, white-trimmed black suit and shades.

And the last figure: an old man with wiry grey hair, an aged mask of skin, and curious blue eyes. He was outfitted with a green cardigan over a white dress shirt, a red tie, and simple grey kakis and shiny black dress shoes. Izumo guessed that this was the guy who'd mentioned "new species". This was the guy who knew the answers.

"W-who are… y-you…?" she managed to croak out. Her voice was hoarse, but she couldn't figure out why. She didn't remember screaming excessively. In fact, she was pretty sure she was the first one gagged back at the hospital.

That thought made her angry, but her body wasn't with her mind quite yet.

The old man chuckled good-heartedly. "You are in no danger, my girl. Relax. As soon as this procedure is finished we'll gladly release you."

Something about the way the old man said that set off alarms in Izumo's mind. She could tell he was being absolutely truthful when he said that they'd let her go. But something was off. Like he knew something.

Then a group of people entered the room, all carrying some sort of strange object in their hands. One glance and she could tell: used properly, those things were going to cause a _lot_ of pain.

That was when she started screaming.

o.O.0.O.o

Rin's POV

Ever since his brother left he'd been thinking. A _lot_. Perhaps too much for his own good. Whenever the hobgoblin family wasn't visiting he was inside Yuri's cabin, practically on the brink of achieving enlightenment with the amount of thinking he was doing.

Once he even questioned the purpose of life itself. That night, as one might imagine, Rin didn't sleep.

Although, there was one activity that cleared his mind better than anything else: swimming. You'd think, being a fire demon, that water would be a big no-no for him. But on the contrary, it rather helped him cool down and presented an opportunity for proper exorcise.

He couldn't spar with Shura to keep his strength up anymore. And the only demons he battled now were those under Satan's influence. So now he settled for doing laps across the large pond-sized pool underneath a short waterfall that dumped into the river.

He'd also met a few water nymphs on his visits to the pool. They were nice enough after they'd inspected and interrogated him. He explained his situation to them, how he was raised by humans and lived at a monastery for fifteen years. He went on to explain his ambitions and how he aimed to take down Satan.

The oldest nymph, Tesh, questioned him and how he came to be, living in the forest there. Rin shamelessly left out the whole part of Neko's little mishap with her serum, but he did tell them that it was a witch that separated him from his human heritage. By accident, course.

"What was she trying to do anyway?" Tesh asked.

"Umm…" he hesitated for a moment, thinking up a reasonable lie, "I think she was trying to separate my demon heritage, so I would become fully human. I'm not really sure. She came busting through my door saying something like, 'I have the answer! Come on, let's go!' I kinda just went with it, and then _this_ happened." He gestured to himself to accentuate the event's results.

The middle nymph, Octa, nodded. "Ooohh. How interesting. So now you're going to try to unseat Satan _without_ the help of your human friends?"

The demon shrugged. "That's the plan."

"Sounds like you've got a lot of work to do then, mister!" sung the youngest one, Vele.

Her sisters nodded in agreement and excused themselves for the night. He too returned to his homestead, awaiting further news of the outside world from Yukio.

o.O.0.O.o

It was about ten o' clock at night when his brother finally texted him.

"You're still at the cabin, right?" said the text.

"Duh. Where else would I be?" Rin replied.

He had a feeling that Yukio had rolled his eyes when he read that.

"A lot of stuff has been going on here. We could've used your help a couple of days ago. But everything miraculously turned out alright."

Rin drew back in surprise. "Really? What happened? How come you didn't call for me?"

"You know why I can't call on you for help, Rin. And it doesn't matter anymore, what's done is done. By the way, Neko said she'd never forget you and that she's really sorry for what she did to you. I'll bring over the note next time I'm over there. In fact, you've got a lot of notes coming your way."

"Huh? Did Neko leave or something? Why'd she go?"

It took a little longer for Yukio to reply to that.

"I'll tell you all about it when I visit you next. Just hang in there until I do, alright?"

"Dammit Yukio! You never tell me anything. First you fail to text me about being Paladin, and now this! You're really getting on my nerves, you know that?"

"And after all the times you've gotten on mine, I'd say we're even. Good night."

"G'night, Four-eyes."

o.O.0.O.o

Yukio's POV

After the young teacher returned to the dorm that day he came home to find that Suguro's claim was true. Neko was nowhere to be seen. He even knocked on her door and poked his head in, only find it empty.

Her phone was sitting on her pillow.

He sighed and rubbed his eyes beneath his glasses. He exited the room and turned in for the night, figuring she'd just come back sometime that night. And she didn't. Which worried him the next morning.

Eventually, his worry escalated to texting the Exwires to see if anyone knew where she was. Only the Kyoto Trio answered, and they said that no one had seen her or any of the rest.

When Shima said that Shura didn't show up for Knight Training was when Yukio started to panic. He notified the higher-up immediately, and they sent him and what was left of the Exwires to investigate.

They were on the train when the young teacher got the text.

"Warehouse loading dock. By the old church. Not much time. Send in back up." It was from Shura's cell.

o.O.0.O.o

They arrived with a team of mid-class exorcists and, of course, the Exwires. Everyone had been prepared for a fight. But what they found when the busted down the door was nothing.

After a few minutes of searching they gave up on the room and crept one by one into the hallway.

It was dank and dim. Water could be heard, rushing through slim pipes that were bolted to the ceiling above them. The hall itself was longer than Yukio expected, but his eyes could've easily been playing tricks on him. It was lit by small wall-mounted lanterns at long intervals, leaving large portions of the space in complete darkness.

Every time they passed under a lantern, Yukio half expected an ambush around the next corner. They were going unnervingly slow, and he wasn't the one in charge of their little search party either. He was just there to take orders from the guy in charge: Murphy.

Murphy wasn't a bad guy. He was just… old. He should've retired years ago, but the Order claimed he was still useful to them. He was a quick-thinking, smart, and had a good sense of leadership about him. But in his old age, well, he wasn't as fast as he used to be. That was for sure.

Not that he was complaining. Any organization capable of capturing Shura for this long could probably single-handedly take out this entire team. Including him.

Once they arrived Shima had immediately started whining about how he didn't want to die, that this was suicide. Yukio had done his best to keep his subordinate quiet thus far. He felt bad for Koneko, who, unlike Shima, bottled up his fears and started silently shaking in terror. Suguro merely pushed his friends forward and forged ahead with them.

Yukio had to admire his student for that. Even at times like these the temple heir could shove his fears aside and keep his comrades in check. He had an unbelievable amount of anger boiling beneath the surface, like his engine has suddenly converted to a hate-fueled steam motor.

Whatever the kid was doing, it was working to their advantage, which was all Yukio cared about right then.

The group came to a sudden halt and Murphy signaled for the team to wait while he scouted the room up ahead. The old man came back, eyes wide and full of distress.

"We've found them." he rumbled under his breath, just loud enough for them to hear him, "Prepare yourselves. It's not a pretty sight."

o.O.0.O.o

 **Additional Disclaimer: I don't own Annabeth, Percy, or Mrs. O'Leary.**

… **and done! Did you guys notice the time skip I did? I suppose it was kind of a big hint about the future, but I honestly don't care at this point. You guys all knew it was going to happen.**

 **Ahem. I've conversed with the plot bunnies. The next two chapters should wrap up the mini arc. At least, I hope. I'm so done with writing negative content. I don't like it when bad things happen! Waaaa!**

 **Okay guys, new discovery! Chewing gum increases inspiration by at least 27%. I recommend it.**

 **So that's that… I've got nothing left to say.**

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	24. Chapter 24

Colors of Fire Ch. 24

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **Story time! I walked into the kitchen this morning to prepare my usual de-calf coffee (doctor's orders I can't have real coffee) and I couldn't open the sugar shaker to refill it. I tried, like, ten times and it wouldn't budge. Finally I got so frustrated I took it downstairs and had my mom open it. And she opened it no sweat! What the heck?**

" **What?!" I exclaimed. "You're kidding me, right?"**

 **She laughed.**

" **Whatever. I loosened the lid for you." I pouted, crossing my arms.**

" **Mhmm. Sure…" she smiled as she handed the shaker back to me.**

 **And that concludes story time!**

 **Hopefully I can polish off the mini arc in this chapter. We'll see, I guess.**

 **Hmmm… Dragons are pretty awesome. I wish I was a dragon. :)**

o.O.0.O.o

Bon's POV

They crept the entire expanse of the hallway and Bon's knees were aching. Not like a dull throb that it _should_ have been, but stabbing bursts of pain netting across the kneecaps. For a while, he considered the possibility of having injured himself somehow before the mission started.

The rooster-haired teen did his best to ignore his near inability to walk and pressed forward; all while making sure Shima didn't run off and abandon them. He we positive that Koneko could stick it out and push through this. But he knew Shima all too well and had basically zero confidence in his friend.

Said friend was quaking in his boots, gripping his staff tightly, and all around having a miniature panic attack. This was nothing compared to a few days ago when he'd spent the entire day curled up on his bed whining about his chest pain. Bon had been extremely worried when the doctors said there was nothing physically wrong with him, and that it was all in their friend's head.

But then miraculously Shima pulled through and the pain went away on its own. Bon had been relieved, but shocked by the new appearance. His infamous pink hair color had been dyed stark white, and his eyes turned red inexplicably. The rooster-haired teen done a very thorough "vampire-check" on his friend, but came up negative.

That had confused all of them. But Bon could still pretty much read Shima's mind, and there was definitely something he wasn't telling them. And to make sure nothing was wrong with his eyes, Bon had forced Shima to make an eye doctor appointment.

Much to his and Koneko's confusion, the doctor reported that Shima's eyes were perfectly healthy, but couldn't explain what had caused a sudden pigment change in the irises. The man had offered to do a study on Shima, which all three of them declined instantly.

Here on a mission, in a dimly lit hallway, Shima looked more like a vampire than ever before. He was pale, eyes wide like he'd seen a ghost. His hands were shaking violently, giving his fingers an almost claw-like appearance as their image blurred with the movement.

His heart wrung when he looked into Shima's crimson red eyes, seeing the pure terror in them threatening to shatter what little sanity the poor kid had left. Bon felt like the worst friend in the world for having put him through this. He was the one who suggested all three of them go on this mission. He could've easily let Shima stay home for this one.

 _Nothing I can do now._

The monk-in-training breathed slowly, deliberately calming himself as he mentally prepared himself for what may lie ahead of them. They'd never gone on this type of mission before, and he was regretting accepting it in the first place. Now that he was there it seemed so much more risky. More dangerous. So very… real.

He never expected he'd have to go on rescue missions. He'd always thought exorcists could handle themselves enough to not be put into these situations. And the person he _least_ expected to be captured, Ms. Kirigakure, was in one of these rooms being held hostage for a ransom.

What was worse was that they didn't even know what ransom these people wanted. Vatican Headquarters had told the crew that, as soon as they figured out what these people wanted, they wouldn't even comply with their wishes so long as it was still in their power to forcibly take back the hostages.

This wasn't a mission for Exwires. Bon didn't even know why they'd let them come along. This sounded way too out of their league. The people in this warehouse weren't even of any affliction with exorcists. As far as they knew, they were just a group of crazy scientists who wanted to see humans evolve. But apparently they wanted something else too, otherwise they wouldn't have taken hostages.

It was confusing to Bon. One would figure that if these scientists had subjects to experiment on they'd be happy. And that's exactly what they had. They had people tied up and ready to go, but what was stopping them? Did they need materials? Money? Foreign research?

What was it?

All these thoughts swirled around in Bon's head, each of them pulling at his attention, demanding answers that he didn't have. It was pissing him off more and more as he kept thinking about it. The team came to a halt as the leader, Murphy, scouted ahead and came back. He said something about preparing themselves for a sight that wasn't pretty. Carefully, the team moved forward and filed into a brightly lit room.

As soon as Bon got a good look, he immediately wished the room wasn't so brightly lit.

o.O.0.O.o

Shiemi's POV

She was thoroughly convinced she'd never leave that building alive. The scientists had moved them to the "subject room" when Shura started mouthing off to the guards. That lady came in again and said something about proper discipline. That's when they finally got to see what that stick of hers did.

The woman took the stick from the guard, turned towards a large stack of crates and said a strange incantation: _"He'Ir Taw!"_

Instantly the crates burst into flames. _Green_ flames. They kept burning for a few seconds, until the whole stack turned to glowing ash. The ignition had nearly left Shiemi blinded just looking in the direction of the blast. She knew then that she didn't want to be on that lady's bad side. But she feared that stick most of all.

In some distant place at the back of her mind, Shiemi remarked on how similar the incantation sounded to Neko's spell on that mission. They both used the same double intoned voice, and they held the same strong conviction. Again, Shiemi wondered why these people seemed to want Neko.

Maybe they're rivals or something. Shiemi knew that there were both good and bad witches out there. Neko was living proof of that. But she never imagined that the two types would be enemies. She just imagined that they avoided each other and stayed out of the other's way.

The blonde wondered why the "scientists" went through so much trouble as to keep hostages just to get to their witch classmate. Neko didn't strike Shiemi as someone of high demand by crazy science geeks. But seeing that lady and how she handled magic made her think twice about their motives.

It didn't exactly matter now anyway. They were stuck here, and there was no sign of back-up coming. When they released them into the room, they'd kept their feet and hands tied, however, Shura and Shiemi freed themselves as they were seated back-to-back. The Knight had sent a text to Yuki, but Shiemi was starting to receive unpleasant thoughts as time wore on.

 _What if they captured Yuki too? What if he didn't get Ms. Shura's message? What if they kill us before Yuki can get here?_

A thousand "what if" s crammed her thought process and she nearly broke down crying right then and there. But something stopped her. Whether it was the sheer horror of what was contained in that room with them, or Shura's comforting presence she didn't know. She was sure that the room was contributing to her silence, though.

It was pretty much anyone's worst nightmare. Corpses and dying failed experiments littered the floor, dog crates, and even the shelves. The stench was horrible; the sight was revolting, and the sounds… the sounds made her want to curl in on herself and add to them.

It was the worst place she'd ever been in her entire life. And she was terrified beyond comprehension that these people would do the same thing to her as they did these miserable creatures. They weren't even recognizable anymore. The only animal she could identify in there was some kind of dog/pig hybrid thing. And even that was mangled and twisted.

If Agony could take a physical form, this room would be it. She wanted so badly to leave this place and forget. She wanted to be above ground again. She wanted to see the sun just one more time before she died. Shiemi thought that this place was the closest comparison to hell as earth could get. She couldn't even imagine there being a worse place than this.

The only thing keeping her sane was A) Shura being next to her, whispering comforting reassurances, and B) closing her eyes, plugging her ears, and _not_ thinking about what was around her. The only thing she could hear at the moment was her instructor, who was the closest living thing to her, and the occasional shriek of pain from one of the creatures.

The blonde was surprised that she'd made it this far without going crazy. She hadn't cried, not even once, since she got here. But god, did she want to.

Suddenly, a different sound reached her eardrums. She uncovered her ears and heard it again. The door swung open to reveal an old man. He wore and exorcist's coat and the beautiful shining grace that was the official pendant their savior's wore. Shiemi's eyes sparkled as the man went back into the hallway and called in the rest of his team.

They were being rescued!

o.O.0.O.o

Izumo's POV

Whatever those bastards wanted to do with her they didn't get the chance. She'd struggled and screamed for a solid five minutes, further delaying their intentions. And when her voice finally gave out, they only had time to sink one needle before the door exploded.

A huge black mastiff barreled into the room and knocked down five people before Izumo's vision could adjust. Two of the scientists attempted to tackle the beast but ended up being slung into the wall by the dog's massive tail. With a surprised grunt, Izumo recognized it at the dog from the alley.

Sure enough, when her vision cleared, she could see the guy from the alley as well, swinging a baton-looking thing at the remaining scientist. He landed a blow to the head and the man sank to his knees and hit the ground head first with an impressive crack to the skull. The dog guy dropped his weapon and knelt at the other guy's side, checking the pulse.

"He's not dead Percy, now grab the girl and let's go!" said a blonde teen from the doorway. His girlfriend probably.

Soon the guy, Percy the blonde had called him, rushed to Izumo's side. "Can you walk?"

She nodded and swung her legs down off the side of the table. Soon enough though, she found out that, no, she couldn't walk. Whatever she'd been injected with earlier turned her muscles to pudding. Also, her spine was killing her. As soon as she went to stand she nearly fell off the bed. Percy caught her just in time and slung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

As soon as he adjusted her and balanced himself, he followed the blonde girl into the hallway, breaking into a sprint once there. After a couple seconds of running, and having gone a good distance down the hall, her carrier did the loudest taxi-cab whistle she'd ever heard and called his dog.

As they ran, the blonde spoke frantically to Percy, "I don't think they're going to let us out as easily as they let us in. Something's not right here. There's something different about this place, Percy."

He nearly tripped over something as he rounded a corner. Irritated, he grumbled something to himself and kept running. He responded in quick bursts of speech in between pants of decreasing stamina. "You say that about everywhere we go, Annabeth. What's makes this time special?"

She gave him an, _are you kidding me right now?_ look and said, "Um hello? We're not surrounded by monsters! We don't know who or what the enemy is or how to defeat them! So far it looks like they're all human. And why would Apollo want you here, rescuing this girl? Is she important?"

"Apollo? That's the god that gave me the medicine!" Izumo thought. Only she didn't realize she'd said it out loud.

"Yup. His son's the medicine god." Annabeth informed her, "So why'd Apollo take interest in you? Are you a demigod?"

It was kind of difficult to talk to them, being that she was slung over Percy's shoulder. "Um, no. I'm not a demigod. He gave me the medicine as a favor, I guess. I'm only a descendant of a shrine maiden. A shrine to Inari."

Percy sounded out the name as if trying it out, "Eee-na-ree… Nope. Never heard of that one."

Annabeth snorted at her boyfriend's think-headed nature. "She's not a Greek or Roman goddess, Seaweed Brain. Of course you've never heard of her."

"Oh so she's Chinese or something, like Frank?"

"We're in Japan."

"Ooohhh… So she's Japanese?"

They rounded another corner and this time Percy really did fall. Izumo spilled onto the floor and quickly realized that she could move her legs again. She felt something tickle the back of her leg, but ignored it and stood up. She found that her back pain subsided.

"C'mon, keep moving!" Annabeth hissed as she waved them over.

Now that she was up and running again their journey quickened in pace. For the rest of the time they spent in the hallways was time they spent in silence. Izumo was feeling pretty good about escaping, until a blockade of guards stopped them.

Percy said something in a different language under his breath. They came to a stop just as a woman appeared at the front of the ranks. She had black hair and a knowing smirk. She also carried some kind of staff in her hands, which was alight with green fire.

Annabeth's eyes widened in horror as she caught sight of the fire, and Percy the same. They both took a few steps back, Izumo hesitantly copying their movements. The woman in front grinned when she saw this.

"Come now, don't be shy!" she insisted, her tone dripping with poisoned honey. "Test subjects are very valuable here. We promise your stay here will be a quick and deathless experience!"

Percy uncapped his pen for apparently no reason. "We're not staying here, lady! Now let us go, before things get ugly!"

The woman flinched as soon as Percy uncapped that pen. She recovered quickly enough when she ordered the guards to seize them. Just as the guards started moving forward, a flicker of movement caught Izumo's eye.

She turned to the hallway to her left and saw a team of exorcists with her own mission team in tow, making their way towards them. She tried to warn them, but before they could understand her game of charades a guard bound her arms behind her and shoved her towards the woman, out of sight.

Again, she felt that tickle on her legs, but she felt another sensation as well. Like she felt her _legs_ brush up against some other part of her body. Now was not the time to investigate, however.

She hoped that one; the guard didn't see them, and two; the exorcist team figured out what was happening. The other guards were having trouble getting ahold of Percy and Annabeth, but Izumo remained calm and played along as a good little captive.

She knew now that back up had arrived and it was only a matter of time before the scientists would get a serious ass-whooping.

o.O.0.O.o

 **And I shall take a break, eat, and write the next chapter! I'm genuinely excited to find out what happens next. I want to see that evil witch get her ass kicked by Percy. And I want those poor creatures in the subject room to be put out of their misery.**

 **I also want Neko to come into this but I'm not sure how. I can tell you that I plan on making her appearance in the next chapter.**

 **And what's up with Izumo? What exactly had the scientists injected her with? Stay tuned for more!**

 **Oh, I almost forgot.**

 **Additional Disclaimer: I don't own Percy, Ann- screw it. I'm NOT Rick Riordan. There, I said it. Happy?**

 **Anywho, I'm going to go recharge my laptop and eat something now. I'll be back in a couple of hours.**

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	25. Chapter 25

Colors of Fire Ch. 25

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **And I'm back! I had a large can of dog food and I'm ready to go! Wow, I can't believe I'm actually writing two chapters in one day. My brain must be in overdrive right now because I'd never have been able to do this otherwise!**

 **I'll admit I have done no thinking while I was taking a break. Thinking is reserved for sitting at my writing desk and those ten minutes before I go to sleep at night. So, as usual, I'm finding out what will happen just as you are!**

 **Sorry if I confused anyone last chapter when I was talking about dragons. I was just… thinking.**

 **Alright, let's light this candle!**

o.O.0.O.o

Koneko's POV

He was glad they'd found Izumo when they did. He'd been about to voice his negative thoughts and say that she was probably dead. It wasn't very Koneko-like of him to be thinking that way, but after seeing the hell that was the "subject room" he'd lost his optimism.

Koneko was somewhat grateful for the severity of the mission. The urgency of having to find the last Exwire had restrained the more untamed thoughts at the back of his mind. He'd focused on the situation at hand and blocked out the black tide threatening to overpower his thoughts.

He figured they were all thinking along the same lines as him. The entire team plus their rescued charges had witnessed the horror in that room. Koneko knew that none of them would come out of this the same. He knew that when this team got their hands on the people responsible for that room that there would be hell to pay.

Koneko, being the animal-loving person he was, he especially was disgusted with them. For reasons he could not fathom, they'd taken, abused, and twisted these creatures beyond recognition. The sounds they made, their gory, tortured appearances, it sickened Koneko to his very core. For the first time in his life he felt utter loathing towards human beings.

The cruelty of these humans surpassed the sinister nature of demons. They were comparable to Satan himself. And even Satan, when he attempted to take over Assiah, had less harmful intentions than these people did. Satan only wanted to fulfill his and his wife's dream of creating peace between the worlds.

At least, that's what Mr. Okumura told them.

These scientists… they wanted to mutilate and corrupt the whole of humanity, but they didn't stop there. No, they were experimenting with normal animals too.

Koneko had a few theories as to why these people wanted Neko. She was a successful product of merging two animals. Well, as successful as one is ever going to get, anyway. She could fly and use the raven's abilities to their full extent. And she could think and talk just like a human. And even that wasn't by itself, she was a witch on top of all that.

If these people wanted to make the entire world just like Neko, at least that was in range of comprehension to Koneko. At least that he could understand their motive. But their methods were far too barbaric.

Koneko's anxiety gradually worsened at the thought of Izumo. He didn't know where she was or why she was separated from the group, but it was pretty easy to figure out that whatever they were doing with her wasn't good. He'd silently prepared himself for when they'd eventually find her.

He prepared himself to see another living nightmare from the subject room.

Koneko had been relieved beyond reason when he'd caught sight of her, standing at the end of the hall, perfectly fine. Terrified and desperately trying to tell them something, but fine. And then the guard had appeared and pushed her forward, past the corner and out of their line of view.

"Alright crew," Murphy whispered to them as the crouched and came to a stop right before the turn if the hallway, "Dragoons surround and close off the perimeter. Knights, disarm the guards, and Doctors, grab the kids and get the hell out of here."

Mr. Okumura looked rather confused; he was being forced to choose between two courses of action.

Minutes later the team was surrounding the scientists, the Dragoons (including Mr. Okumura) were aiming their weapons in a circle to keep them enclosed. The woman in the middle of the mass started shouting at the guards and all hell broke loose.

Koneko was brought back to reality when a guard attempted to grab him. The world was brought into focus as instincts he didn't know he had took over. His body began automatically moving on its own, dodging and ducking as the enemy tried to capture him. On normal missions he'd find himself reciting passages to take out the demons, but right here and now he was locked in combat with something that _didn't_ have a fatal verse.

The odds weren't exactly in his favor, the guy was probably three times his size, but his light weight form allowed him extra agility and flexibility. He didn't know why or how he was doing this, he could only guess that his body had picked the "fight" response instead of "flight".

In between avoiding incoming fists he caught glimpses of the chaos around him. Bon decked one of the guards who then sprawled on the floor clutching a broken nose. Shiemi, surprisingly, was up and fighting, kicking and clawing at the guard that was trying to restrain her.

Even Shima was fearlessly whapping people on the head with his staff, effectively causing some bruising.

Koneko saw all the exorcists around them, all locked in battle like he was. The bald monk nearly got clipped in the chin before he finally snapped out of his trance.

His opponent growled at him. "Stay still, dammit!"

Suddenly, hearing the malice in that voice, Koneko leveled the severity of this fight. These people deserved worse than being taken to prison, and as soon as the police arrived they'd be relieved of this battle. They'd be taken away smiling smugly as they escaped uninjured for the horrendous crimes they've committed.

They'd evade proper justice as soon as they were arrested. Right here and now was the only punishment they'd serve for what they did. And it was then that Koneko realized just how important this fight was to him.

So he dodged yet another kick to the side, shoved the next offending arm away, and socked the guard in the jaw.

o.O.0.O.o

Percy's POV

"Yo, Mr. Okumura!" he shouted, having just knocked out another guard, "Where've you guys been the last few days?"

The young teacher turned to him in surprise before being forced to face his next opponent. Quickly the Dragoon shot a tranquilizer dart, sending the guard roughly to the floor. "Mr. Jackson? What are you doing here?"

"Same as you! Rescue mission, right?" Another guard went down.

Teal eyes stared at him in amazement for a moment, then they traced over to Annabeth and Izumo. Percy's girlfriend was currently whacking a guard's helmet with the flat of her dragonbone blade. He had to admit, she looked pretty scary with that sword. Ever since coming back from… that place they'd sparred several times a week. His girlfriend picked up on sword-fighting quicker than he would've originally guessed.

"No offense, and not that I'm ungrateful for the help," the young teacher started, "But this isn't exactly your fight. _Why_ did you come here?"

Percy took offense to that, but swallowed his pride and argued, "Someone told me to come here and rescue Pigtails over there" he pointed to the purple-haired girl.

"Izumo? Why her?" their Dragoon instructor took out the guard behind him without even looking.

Percy swung his sword and smacked a scientist upside the head, who crumpled into a useless heap on the ground. "Don't know. I'ma slice-first ask-questions-later kinda guy."

"Percy!" Annabeth shouted, four or five of them closing in on her.

He was at her side instantly, kicking, shoving, and slamming his blade into the enemy. All of the fighting sort of blended together after Mr. Okumura re-entered the mass and left them with the guards.

o.O.0.O.o

Finally, after all the waves of guards were down for the count, only two enemies remained. Unfortunately all the Dragoons had lost all of their sleep-darts and were only left with real bullets, which obviously wasn't an option. Never the less, they kept their weapons trained on the woman and her gold-toothed accomplice.

Percy was surprised that she hadn't set the whole place ablaze yet, but he guessed she didn't want to ruin all her precious research that the building likely contained. Plus, Greek fire wasn't something to be toying with in a very crammed, flammable hallway.

The Knights, including Ms. Kirigakure, were slumped against the walls, panting in exhaustion. All of the doctors were tending to the wounded exorcists. Percy saw one of them calling for back-up.

As for the Exwires (the real ones, not him and Annabeth) they were huddled up in a corner being cared for by the blonde girl. Izumo had an odd look on her face, like she'd just received extremely disturbing news. She clutched what looked like a fuzzy rope in her hands. The bald one with the glasses was rubbing his knuckles and talking with the guy with the mo-hawk and the vampire-looking dude.

Percy could just hear what they were saying.

"… wish Rin was here. He could've been a big help." mumbled the vampire dude.

He didn't know who this Rin was, but the other Exwires, plus Mr. Okumura, all agreed with him.

The mo-hawk guy then snorted. "Yeah, I bet you wish Rin was here."

The vampire dude blushed deeply. "Oh c'mon! A guy makes a mistake once! ONCE!"

The bald one laughed. "A pretty big mistake."

They all started laughing, excluding the vampire, but the brightened mood dimmed again when the window at the end of the hall shattered. From the glass ruins rose a black-haired girl with a gnarly scar right across her eye. Raven's wings folded against her back and she scanned the scene carefully.

o.O.0.O.o

Neko's POV

One look. That was all it took. One look and she knew that this was the same woman who'd merged her with the raven.

Neko would recognize that smirking face anywhere; it was imprinted in her brain since day one of the experiments. This was the woman was her creator. Her Victor Frankenstein. And she was the monster who cursed her creator and loathed her with her entire being. She'd been extremely lucky to have escaped when she did and not a moment after.

 _A frightened eleven year old girl was shoved harshly into a room with white walls and a woman with black hair occupying a steel workbench._

" _We've found the little witch, Ms. Lemere." the guard said, closing the door behind him to prevent the escape of the poor child._

 _The woman turned around and smirked, the first smirk she'd given the girl. It was the first of many. "Excellent. This subject should do quite nicely. Hopefully her mixed blood will allow her extra resiliency for future operations."_

 _A few months later, after many "operations" the girl was yet again shoved into the white room, only this time the guard took care not to damage the newly grown wings on her back. The girl twitched and jerked as she fought her new hybrid avian nature. She wanted to fly. To fly away as far as her wings could carry her._

 _And she was still in the process of freaking out over_ having _wings._

 _The smirking woman strapped the girl down to the table and presented a new piece of equipment before her patient. It was unlike anything the girl had ever seen before, and instinctively she struggled under the restraints._

 _The woman frowned. "Now now, we'll have none of that. This will only be a pinch, okay?"_

 _The girl knew it was_ not _okay. It was_ never _okay. Whenever she went in for these operations she always passed out from the pain. But at least then she'd always known what the equipment did. That_ thing _in the woman's hands looked like some kind of evil torture device, and she was not about to let this lady do that to her._

 _That was the day she'd gotten her scar. And that was the day she escaped._

All those flashbacks ran through her head, clear and vivid as the days she'd received them. Neko outright ignored everyone else in the room and zeroed in on her enemy. Ms. Lemere held her staff topped with Greek fire, same as she did when they'd forced Neko through "training". She'd learned the full effects of Greek fire the hard way.

Neko realized she needed to get these people out of the building.

She glanced around and caught sight of her mission team. Then her eyes scanned everyone else. The whole Exwire class, it looked like. And even a pair of teens she didn't recognize.

 _Are they experiments too?_

They didn't look any different than normal humans, but she couldn't be sure. When she caught sight of Izumo again she nearly cried. _No wonder she'd been screaming._ She had "the look" on her face. She had "the shattered light" in her eyes. The same ones she saw in the mirror every day. Neko knew they'd done something to her. But she didn't have time to figure out what.

Right now she needed to be alone with Ms. Lemere, take her down, and sort out this mess later.

All that scanning had been done in five seconds flat, and the exorcist team jumped in surprise when she shouted, "Alright! Everyone get out of here!"

"Miss Shen, we can't just…" Yukio protested, but was cut off.

"I said get out! Leave! I'll be fine here, but they won't!" she gestured towards the Exwires and received a small nod from Yukio.

He turned around and repeated the order, the team gladly complying.

With the circle of Dragoons no longer pointing their guns at her head, Ms. Lemere smirked that knowing smirk and straightened. "So we meet again, _Katoptris_. I've waited a long, long time to see you here again. Don't you even _think_ I'll ever let you go a second time."

The elder witch readied her staff and took a deep breath, preparing for a very powerful, energy-draining incantation.

o.O.0.O.o

The first spell had barely nicked her in the ear, just passing her head. It was the closest call she'd ever had with _that_ particular spell, and she never wanted to repeat the experience again.

Her ear however, wasn't let off so easily. The flesh was stinging and burning, crumbling to dust as the infectious necromancy spread. Neko had leaped to one side, dodging another blast, and recited the proper spell to stop the effects. As the elder witch moved closer she fired more and more pestilence spells.

It had been a long while since Neko entered magical combat, and she was fairly rusty at it. This didn't matter as much, because now that she was older she had a few more tricks up her sleeve than when she was eleven.

" _He Taw!"_ Neko commanded and the roof exploded above the black-haired woman, causing her smirk to flee, only with her body. The elder witch launched herself upward and out of the way of the falling rubble. A huge chunk of wood and pressboard landed right where the witch was two seconds prier.

 _Dammit!_

Seeing as how the hallway was open to the floor above them, it presented new opportunities to take the advantage. For Neko, it was the advantage of height.

The raven chimera took the opportunity and leapt up to the second floor with the help of a wingbeat or two. Ms. Lemere growled from beneath her and headed for the stairway.

Several minutes had passed until Ms. Lemere finally made it to the room Neko was in. Neko had prepared an elaborate trap for the other witch with the time it took for her to reach her. She was in no way prepared for the fresh set of guards she brought with her.

o.O.0.O.o

Angel's POV

He was having a relaxing time sitting in his study, reading about the arrogance of the people during the Salem Witch Trials of America. He'd recently signed a piece of paperwork allowing access of two American transfer students into the exorcism program, and he was brushing up on the country's history.

Then he received a phone call through an assistant saying that a large amount of back up was requested at an old warehouse. The assistant informed him of the reports coming in. Reports of a possible witch sighting.

The blond-haired man smiled. _How fitting. I was just reading about that…_

He'd reluctantly got off his lazy ass and decided to check things out for himself. If it was something interesting to do besides sitting around and reading then that was fine by him. He knew he could use the exercise.

Witches weren't exactly demons, but they have caused problems in the past. Angel recalled a recent case when a student of the Cram School caused quite a mishap, changing the gender of their very own satanic charge.

Supposedly that student was a witch, and that had been the reason why she was grouped with the half demons in the first place. He remembered how Mephisto defended the witch's actions and took it upon himself to adjust the hell spawn's paper work as needed.

Angel smirked. Yes, witches were a worthy reason to leave the comfort of his reading chair and investigate. He didn't have to do this himself, he could've easily sent in investigators of lower ranks.

But Angel wanted to see this "magic" for himself.

o.O.0.O.o

 **Hey guys, you know those awkward times when you forget how to eat a Pringles chip? And you're trying to stuff the whole thing in your mouth like you usually do but it's just not working? And you do it anyway and end up making a mess of yourself?**

 **Yeah. I just had that. Not fun.**

 **Ahem, back to the story! So I haven't been paying Angel any attention at all since this story started. I had genuinely forgotten that he even existed for a short time. It was strange.**

 **So now I've decided to add him in, just to shake things up!**

 **Conclusion of the mini arc (I might as well call it an arc at this point, it's certainly big enough) will likely happen next chapter!**

 **Unfortunately my brain is fried and two chapters in one day have done me in. Now I must rest my brain so I can write tomorrow.**

 **Oh yeah! I keep almost forgetting. I oughta not do that…**

 **Additional Disclaimer: I'm not Rick Riordan. Y'all know what I'm talkin' about.**

 **Alrighty then… I'm tired and I must figure out how to eat a Pringles chip properly again.**

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	26. Chapter 26

Colors of Fire Ch. 26

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **Hey guys! I just discovered an amazing tool for centering something on a page! You use the "Center" button! AMAZING! Now I have to go back to every single chapter I've written so far and fix things. *facepalm* Why me?!**

 **So I'll be doing that** _ **after**_ **I write this chapter. I've also got to adjust the formatting in my novel. I'm glad I didn't get very far into that one. XD**

 **Honestly, the longest piece of writing on my computer is this here story! I've focused pretty much all of my time on fanfiction. I spoil you guys. You know that?**

 ***sigh* So much formatting to do…**

 **And to put that off further I shall write this chapter! Yay!**

o.O.0.O.o

Yukio's POV

They got out of the building just in time to see the police arrive. Yukio wondered why the extra back-up seemed to be reliant on normal human firepower. If anything, having the police there was just like having an extra Dragoon firing squad.

The young teacher wasn't all that concerned, though. He was sure Neko could handle herself in there. If she needed any extra help she'd find a way. She was smart.

Glancing back at the building as they moved further and further away from it, Yukio caught sight of a window shattering, dust and debris pouring out of the frame along with the glass. The young teacher heaved a sigh and turned back to face the front of the vehicle he was in. In the van with him was Shura, Suguro, Shima, and a few of the exorcist team.

The vans following them contained everyone else, including his "unofficial students". He was still trying to figure out who would've been dumb enough to send those kids to rescue just one other student. It struck him as odd that Mr. Jackson merely followed the order without complaint or question. Then again, he'd expect nothing less from his second worst student, the first being Rin.

He was running theories and so far the only culprit he could come up with was Mephisto. The clown was crafty, sneaky, and downright ludicrous at times. Just last week he called Yukio into his office just for a simple cup of tea and a chat about their personal opinions of polka dots.

The brunette found himself sighing again, this time removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes. Shura glanced over at him in sympathy. This whole ordeal was going to leave all of them with a lot of pent up stress to deal with. It occurred to Yukio just how much of a fool he'd been, letting all of this happen. Everything was his fault.

Even when there was no clear accusation, he could always trace things back to his own mistakes. Even when he knew that there was nothing he could've done he still felt as if he'd caused all of the world's problems. He's felt like this ever since he was young. He'd always blamed himself when Rin got hurt in a fight, because it was _his_ fault for not standing up to the bully in the first place.

So many bad things, so many good intentions gone wrong. Yukio was used to blaming himself for everything now, and it was something he was probably going to do for the rest of his life. It was that set-in-stone instinct to immediately accuse himself of wrong doing that haunted him throughout his childhood. And now, even though it was obviously _not_ his fault he still mentally kicked himself.

The instinct always made him feel terrible, and sink deeper into the depression he hid so well from his family. It didn't last very long, thank god, but it left scars in his way of thinking. And the fact that the guilt and shame didn't last more than a day or two was probably one of the few things keeping him sane.

"Hey," Shura whispered, "You have any idea where they're taking us?"

Yukio was brought out of his musings by his coworker's question. He had a feeling that she didn't really care to know the answer, didn't really care to ask the question. She'd seen that look on his face before and knew what it meant.

"Not a clue." he answered absently, smiling a bit now.

They could always count on each other for things like this. Thinking too much wasn't always good, they both knew that. They made a point to bring the other back to the world when they had "the look" on their face.

Just then he noticed that Shura's hair was down. It looked odd but he didn't question it, nor did he care at the moment. They sat in silence the rest of the ride. Yukio genuinely didn't know where they were going, but at the moment it didn't matter. The Exwires were safe now. One less thing to worry about.

o.O.0.O.o

Izumo's POV

She nearly passed out when it came to her attention. Or rather Shiemi hesitantly informed her. It had been embarrassing, shocking, and all around the strangest thing that had ever happened to her. But given that one of her classmates was currently recovering from something _much_ worse, she was able to refrain from freaking out too much.

Izumo had previously thought that her blood ties with demons were so thin they were basically non-existent now. Apparently she was wrong. Because whether she wanted to believe it or not, the solid, cold proof was swishing across the seat next to her.

It was also in her mouth, on her ears, and worst of all on the tips of her fingers. She would have to cut them off to make sure she didn't rake her scalp open when washing her hair.

The other Exwires' reactions had been somewhat of a watered-down version of their reaction to Rin's own exposure. Only this time it was a bit less malicious and more sympathetic. For once she was glad that the class already had a half demon to break the "freak out" barrier.

The purple-haired half demon was placed haphazardly in the van with the least amount of people in it. Even though the Exwire class was done and cool with the concept, the elder exorcists were still weary of the strange new species. Shiemi was sitting to her left, next to the window.

The garden girl was her first actual friend after Paku, and she owed the girl a whole lot for that. And now that Shiemi was treating her as she did every other day despite her recent changes, Izumo owed her even more.

The blonde turned to her every so often and smiled, as if to say, _Don't worry. Everything's going to be fine._ It was a comforting gesture, and Izumo found herself relaxing back into the seat.

That was also new to her. Sitting with an extended spine, or otherwise known as the dreaded word she refused to say out loud: tail. Sweeping slowly across the expense of leather to her right, it was happily moving with, seemingly, a mind of its own. Sure she could deliberately control it when she wished, but most of the time she didn't pay enough attention to care what it was doing.

But paying attention to the tail itself was a whole lot easier than thinking about what brought its existence. Izumo shivered at the very thought of that warehouse now, and she made a point to keep all that had happened there off her mind.

Looking at Shiemi, she could tell that the garden girl had seen things there too. She'd seen the horror that was the scientists and their subjects. It was hell on earth there and they'd all witnessed it. They'd all come home with scars.

Izumo felt like a useless piece of crap ever since arriving there. She'd failed to prevent her and her own friend's capture. Hell, even their _teacher_ couldn't do anything against those people. She felt like everything she'd worked hard for had gone to waste. If she couldn't even take out one of those Black Suits then what good was she in the world of exorcists?

Izumo needed to find a different outlet. She needed a back-up method for fighting. Something to resort to when the situation called for more _substantial_ means of fighting. Izumo had half a mind to sign up for Knight training. At least when the fighting broke out back there Shura was in the thick of things and making progress.

When they'd fought that giant chimera she'd been utterly useless. The thing wasn't even a demon, so her familiars couldn't do a single thing. Izumo glanced back down at her sharpened fingernails. _Maybe I shouldn't cut them after all._

o.O.0.O.o

Neko's POV

After the guards entered the fight, things started going downhill for Neko. As soon as she felt her magic reserves draining she knew she was in trouble. She didn't know how much longer she was going to last. She wanted so desperately to take down this evil witch, but she was running out of means to do so.

She even resorted to taking to the sky and calling down lightning. That's when Ms. Lemere finally got pissed off enough to use her staff.

"Alright you little bitch!" the elder witch shouted, "I'm done playing games! I'll dissect your corpse if I have to! But I _am_ getting your genetic code sooner or later!"

The woman aimed her staff and started firing a barrage of Greek fire at the rouge chimera. A great deal of them missed their target, but two of them hit home on her left arm and right ankle. The chimera screamed in pain as the green flames corroded her flesh. Neko knew she had to end this fast, and retreat wasn't an option.

The younger witch held her injured arm and she hovered lower and lower to the ground. Mr. Lemere smiled with pleasure as her prey exposed herself to a more wide range of her spells.

Ms. Lemere always favored animal torture over any other experiments. It seemed only fitting at the time, in a horrid, cruel way, to capture her perfect chimera once more with the help of other animals. The elder witch grinned and cited another incantation, this time opening a seal in her arm and releasing a whole pack of black wolves.

Just by a simple glace Neko could tell that these wolves were demons. Demons that wanted nothing more than to rip her apart and infect her with the fluids that oozed from their fangs.

Unfortunately, Neko had only been at True Cross for a short while, and didn't pick up on too much yet. She only knew the opening verses of a few passages, so Arias was out of the count. She didn't have her sword on her, not that she could use it anyway. Even her daggers she left at her dorm, so she was pretty much screwed.

Her wings gave out on her and she fell to the ground in exhaustion. Her ankle flared up in pain as soon as she touched down. Her eyes watered and blurred her eyesight. The wolves were slowly closing in on her.

For the first time that day, real actual fear blossomed in her heart. She was lying on the ground, defenseless. Her muscles ached, her wing was still fractured and she'd only slowed the healing by using them. Her magic reserves were emptied as soon as she polished off that last lightning bolt. She had no weapon against these demons, and she was at the mercy of her worst nightmare. _Again._

Ms. Lemere had strolled over to her and was now standing triumphantly above her, smirking yet again. Neko raised her head to look at the woman with difficulty.

"Now that I've got you, are you going to go quietly?" she breathed smugly.

A sneer twisted the chimera's face as she scrunched up her nose and growled, "I'll _never_ go quietly and you _don't_ have me. Now lean down so I can tear that ugly smirk off your face!"

The woman frowned and wagged her finger at her in that irritating way of hers. "That's no way to talk to your mother, young lady."

"You are NOT my mother!" Neko screamed. "You KILLED her with your wretched dogs! I'll have your head for that!"

The chimera mustered her strength and shakily pulled herself up, avoiding putting pressure on her burned ankle and arm. Chemicals reacted within her as rage poured through every vein in her body. All of that anger and resentment, all that hatred towards this one, evil woman was being slowly released.

Suddenly the chimera erupted into purple flames, her entire body being replaced by the raging energy flickering around her. The pain from her injuries died as the fire consumed her being. Her mind was wiped clean and one thought rang clear above all the rest: kill.

Neko's galestorm of power was cut short, however, because before she could even take a swipe at the woman, a blur of blond and white invaded the scene.

"Zodiac Slash!" it shouted, clearing the roof of the demon dogs in a single bright flash of light.

o.O.0.O.o

She woke up in yet another hospital bed, but this time something was different. She couldn't remember why she was here. She felt like crap, but she didn't know how she got injured. The last thing she remembered was seeing Ms. Lemere's smirk as she presented a new piece of equipment before her.

Neko rose into a sitting position, only to have a stabbing bolt of pain jar her skeletal system. Quickly but carefully she sank back down into the bed. She was long used to the pain of a broken wing, after all the times the scientists "tested" their durability. She knew it would take a while before she could sit up and release the pressure her weight was providing for the healing appendage.

Briefly, she wondered what had happened. She usually struggled before an "operation" but she'd never freaked out like that before. Neko assumed that as soon as her wing healed she'd be scheduled for another, likely with that same piece of new equipment.

The chimera groaned just thinking about the torture she had coming to her. Neko glanced around the room, quickly realizing that she wasn't in one of the rooms in the facility.

 _We moved again?_

It wouldn't surprise her. The scientists were very careful not to expose themselves and their research. They moved quite often, and now that their most valuable subject is old enough to understand most of what they were doing they weren't going to take any risks.

The young chimera wanted so badly to escape. She wanted so badly to leave this place behind and never come back. She wanted to be among normal people again. She wanted to see animals that weren't twisted or crying in pain. She wanted to be with her mother again.

That would never happen she knew, but a girl could dream.

It was that woman she knew, that sent her mother away. The woman with the black hair, her main torturer. She'd told her a few years back that they'd sent her mother to different lab. And only now was Neko starting to realize what she'd meant by that.

The young chimera glanced around her new surroundings with what little field of vision her position was allowing her. She hadn't noticed before in her usual scan that there was someone with her in the room.

He was asleep, she knew. It was a young man, probably fifteen or so, with brown hair, glasses, and a few moles dotting his face. His breathing was steady as he sat there, arms crossed over his chest. His eyes were closed, indicating his lack of consciousness.

 _A new intern. But he's a little young, isn't he?_

After about twenty five minutes the teen in the chair woke up to find the chimera staring at him. He blushed momentarily at her undivided attention, then pulled himself together and cleared his throat.

"Hello, Ms. Shen." he said politely.

"Hello, person I don't know." she replied with her usual sass.

He frowned at her response, as if searching for a joke somewhere in her expression. When none came he spoke again. "Um… You don't remember me?"

She sighed at his ignorance. "Never seen you before in my life."

o.O.0.O.o

 **Uh-oh! Neko lost her memories! Don't worry, I'll give them back. I'm not** _ **that**_ **mean.**

 **Any of you noticed last chapter how Ms. Lemere called Neko "Katoptris"? Yeah, in case you were wondering that's Neko's real name. I originally wanted to call her Kat, but to me that sounded too American. So I took "Kat" turned it into "cat" switched it to Japanese, and poof! Neko!**

 **The birds outside my window won't shut up. It's irritating and there's nothing I can do about it. Grrr.**

 **My attention span is shorter than Edward Elric! And that is saying something!**

 **I suppose I should still do this, even though they weren't really too involved with this chapter. But they're still here.**

 **Additional Disclaimer: I'm not Rick Riordan.**

 **And I think that about wraps up the story arc. Now I have this giant mess to clean up. I'ma need some Swiffer Wet Jet for this one. Whoop-de-doo.**

 **By the way, sorry if I've twisted all these wonderful characters beyond repair! I changed Shima's cosmetics, turned Koneko into a cold-hearted fighter for a second there, resurrected Izumo's demon heritage, and destroyed the only bit of humanity and dignity Rin had left. But don't feel too bad for them! I've got lots of sweet little goodies for them and some nice heart-warming scenes.**

 **I plan on telling the Exwires about Rin soon. They deserve to know. But how? Hmm… an accident on Yukio's part perhaps? Or maybe Rin shows up on a mission, claws blazing! Haha, na.**

 **I've got a lot of thinking to do. Neko will leave the story hopefully next chapter and we can say goodbye to the witch of the class! Yay! I feel kind of bad for Neko. She's wasn't all that bad. But no matter. "Oh yeah, life goes on…"**

 **Ahem. I've concluded the worst part of the story! Hopefully it'll be all snuggles and love from here on out! I'm so done writing all this angsty crap. So done.**

 **Alrighty then, that wraps up this chapter!**

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	27. Chapter 27

Colors of Fire Ch. 27

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **I am the messiest eater in the world. Besides my dog. Watching her eat makes me want to throw up.**

 **Now that we've gotten the daily randomness out of the way, we can discuss the story! I plan on writing maybe five more chapters. My ADHD probably won't let me write any more than that. I've got so many plot bunnies lined up for other stories they'll break the garden gate if I let any more pile up.**

 **But don't fret! I've still got a few small plot bunnies left for this story! They're all pretty harmless and none of them lead into any major story arcs.**

 **My writing desk is making noise! So irritating! More irritating than the birds outside.**

 **Rin: You're getting off topic again.**

 **Does it look like I care?!**

 **Rin: No, it doesn't.**

 ***facepalm* GET OUT!**

o.O.0.O.o

Annabeth's POV

She was sitting in the backseat of a van, next to her boyfriend, discussing college plans at New Rome with him.

"I still don't think we should bring Mrs. O'Leary, Percy. She's a gigantic Hellhound, do you expect them to just let something like her in without protest? Terminus would throw a hissy fit!"

Percy snorted. "And I'll just—"

"You won't be able to get her past security." she argued, "Terminus is a _god_ Percy. And a Roman god at that, you can't just waltz up to him and threaten him with your sass."

He blinked his sea green eyes, offended. "I am _not_ sassy."

Annabeth crossed her arms and said insistently, "Yes, you _are_."

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you are!"

"No!"

"Perseus Jackson you are the sassiest person I've ever met! There is not one monster alive out there who hasn't been victimized by your sass. Not to mention all twelve Olympians."

"Hey!" he whined, "They were asking for it!"

The sky rumbled audibly above them.

"See?" Annabeth pressed, "Now look what you've done! You've got Zeus angry at you _again_. Now how are we supposed get home safely? We have to take a plane, remember?"

Percy paled at the thought of entering another airplane. "We can always take a boat. Heck, I can swim us home if you want…"

"Just… whatever. And no, we're _not_ taking a boat. That takes way too long."

All of this arguing was going on while they were unknowingly being heard by an Exwire in the shotgun seat.

o.O.0.O.o

Koneko's POV

He had no idea a romantic couple could be so argumentative. All that talk about sneaking a dog in somewhere. And Koneko wasn't sure he heard the girl right when she mentioned Zeus. Wasn't he a Greek god?

It wasn't until the guy said he could swim them across that Koneko finally snuck a glance at the backseat. They were the two who were Exwires but weren't really. They had helped them in the battle against the guards.

Koneko caught sight of the blonde, and on closer inspection, recognized her. She was the girl he bumped into at the pet shop. He had wondered at the time what her affliction was with their Knight and seals instructor, but now he understood. The girl and her boyfriend were studying exorcism, but not in the traditional way.

The Aria-in-training thought it fitting that Ms. Kirigakure be the one to teach these out-of-towners. The woman was anything but traditional.

The rest of the ride was relatively quiet, save for the constant bickering from the couple in the backseat. The driver didn't seem to mind the noise, so Koneko tried his best to relax and wind down from their recent battle.

His arms ached, his head was pounding, and he was pretty sure he had someone's tooth lodged in between his knuckles. Bon had slapped him on the back and congratulated him for the fighting spirit he showed. Koneko wasn't so sure he ought to have been praised. He felt terrible for how he'd acted.

Never in his life had he fought with such ferocious conviction. Now that it was later, and he was no longer in the thick of battle, his actions were starting to frighten him. He'd seen Bon knock out quite a few people in his experience as the guy's friend. Koneko himself had always been on the receiving end of a fist with bullies, but now he knew what it felt like to be delivering the punch.

And he didn't like it.

Silently, in the most privet part of his mind, he'd locked away a portion of that rage he felt. The sheer mass of energy served him well when he was dodging the guard's fists. He'd exploited his own anger in turned it into some kind of life-saving adrenaline when he needed it most. If he ever got into a situation like that again, he'd definitely need the extra boost.

But that was the only reason he'd ever use it for. Other than that, he'd keep it tied up tight and shoved under the rug.

Koneko kept his thoughts in check by pushing them to the back of his mind and focusing on his surroundings. He gazed out the window at the landscape rushing by.

o.O.0.O.o

Yukio's POV

It took a full hour before Neko received her memories back. And another half hour to stop laughing hysterically. The chimera had been so relieved she didn't even care if it made her look crazy. Yukio figured her circumstances before must've been pretty bad back in the day.

Yukio couldn't imagine being with those scientists for years. If this girl could survive something like that, than anything was possible. It gave him hope that he could somehow fix things between demons and humans. It was a long, near-impossible shot, but it was worth a try.

But how was he going to convince the Vatican?

Simple: he wasn't. He would let their own logic decide for them when he showed them how Rin's mind worked. And if he could get Mephisto on his side, all the better. He had a feeling the clown could be very persuasive, and his skills would offer a great deal of help to his argument.

But Yukio would wait a long time until he was ready for such a task. He'd let everything settle down first, wait a few years, and _then_ present his argument. He himself wouldn't make a good spokesman for this he knew, so in the meantime he'd have to get support from pure-blood humans.

He already had the support of his entire Exwire class, but that wouldn't be enough. Yukio would need to persuade regular commoners. If he could convince normal people that demons in general meant them no harm, the Vatican would have no choice but to believe it.

If he could shine the light on Rin's "Satan's Army" theory he might even be able to convince the whole of mankind.

But that was over-thinking it. For now, all he wanted was for the death threat on his brother to be removed. So they could live in relative peace while they stayed in True Cross. So Rin could be with his friends on a daily basis and not cooped up in their mother's cabin out in the middle of nowhere.

When Neko finally came out of it, he too was removed from his mental musings.

She sighed. "I think I should just go home."

Yukio looked up at her. "What do you mean?"

"Back to America." she explained, "I don't want to cause any more trouble here. And now that the scientists are gone I can finally go back to my hometown and live in peace. I don't need to be here any longer."

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I thought you came here to become an exorcist?"

She smiled. "I did. And I still will. Like Mephisto said, I'm merely a transfer student. There's a school back home I can go back to."

Neko turned away from Yukio and brought out one of her spiral notebooks and a pencil. "I'm going to write a letter to Rin, if you don't mind. I feel terrible for what I've done to him. And also, I've got something for him. Will you give these things to him after I leave?"

She looked back at him with those pleading eyes of hers. He couldn't refuse "the look". He smiled and assured, "Yes. I will see to it that he gets everything."

She let out a relieved breath and set to work on the letter.

o.O.0.O.o

Rin's POV

It was a very windy day. As he watched the giant oak trees swaying in the violent gusts he couldn't help but worry over the nymphs and how they were fairing out there. Surely they were smart enough to hide themselves in their underwater cove, right?

Definitely. Tesh cared deeply for her sisters, which Rin could tell just by looking at the way she talked with them. All three sisters had a very strong bond with one another and he'd be damned if Tesh let them blow away in a storm like this.

The demon recalled his last conversation he had with Octa the other day.

" _Are you and your brother close, Rin?" she inquired innocently._

 _He'd smiled and replied, "Well, he's kind of a big shot at our school_ and _he's a teacher, so I don't get to see him very often. When we were little, though, we were very close. I remember him coming home crying all the time, And I'd get so angry I'd track down the little snot who made fun of him and give them a beating."_

 _Octa made a startled 'meep!" sound and said breathlessly, "You must be a very violent person, Rin! Why would you hurt someone like that?"_

 _Rin's smile had disappeared, replaced with an earnest look, "Because they hurt my brother. What was I supposed to do? Let them get away?"_

 _The nymph muttered something under her breath. "I guess that makes sense. If someone tried to hurt me or Vele, Tesh would probably drown them."_

" _Yeah," Rin grinned again, "That's what siblings do for each other. It's nice to know someone else has your back, huh?"_

 _Octa giggled, "Yes, it is. I don't know what wouldn't happened if Tesh hadn't saved us."_

 _The bluenette tilted his head at hearing that, but let the subject drop. He smiled at her and excused himself for the night. He'd been talking with Octa for so long his skin was starting to get wrinkly. He might've turned into a walking prune if he'd stayed any longer._

The demon looked back at the conversation with a warm feeling in his heart. Even water nymphs and demons had families. It was a comforting thought, and he kept his mind focused on the warm feeling. He went over to the middle of the room, where he'd set up a fireproof tarp on the floor.

The fire demon sat down, Indian style, on the tarp and ignited his blue flames to lull him to sleep. He hardly ever used the bed anymore. Most of the time he was contented to sit on the floor with the warmth of his own fire.

o.O.0.O.o

Later that day Yukio came over. Rin was still in his deep sleep when the pale of water was sloshed onto him, quenching the fire, and effectively irritating him. He stood up dripping wet, and shook his hair and fur out like a dog. He shuffled back over to the tarp to dry himself off.

"You know," he started, igniting his flames once more, "You're just as fire proof as I am, Yukio. You could've just shaken my shoulder or something."

His twin smirked and crossed his arms over his chest, setting a briefcase down. "That would take all the fun out it."

Rin shot him a surprised glare. "Since when do you have fun?"

"Hey!" he defended himself, "I can have fun if I want to! Anyway, I've brought the letters." Yukio knelt down and undid the latch on the suitcase. It opened with a satisfying "click" and the half demon retrieved a stack of papers from its near-empty depths.

"These," he stated, handing the papers to his brother, "Are letters from all of your classmates."

Rin's eyes widened, hesitantly taking the papers, "You _told_ them?"

Yukio frowned. "No, I didn't. I told them you were being sent to live somewhere else by Mephisto's orders. Of course, Bon didn't buy it and questioned the story, so I said you were being evaluated by different branches of True Cross. I told them that if they wrote to you I could deliver the letters."

"Oh, and one other thing," he said before Rin could take a look at the papers, "Neko went home. Her letter is in there somewhere. She also gave you this." He rummaged further in the briefcase and brought out a necklace of sorts.

It looked like an amulet more than anything else. It had a silver chain, and what looked like a bronze circular pendant, a red gem embedded in the center. It strongly resembled a prop from a vampire movie.

"It's a Pyromancer's tablet, she said," Yukio explained, "It's supposed to help you focus your flame-fighting technique." He then mumbled under his breath, "Or something like that…"

The bluenette took the tablet and further inspected it. He shrugged and set it down for the time being, more interested in the letters at the moment. Yukio took the cue and went to unpack his things for his weekend stay.

 _Dear Blue Monkey,_

 _You missed a whole lot over the past few days. Ms. Kirigakure got kidnapped by a bunch of evil scientists, along with Shiemi and Izumo. The Vatican actually let us go with the team on the rescue mission. You should've seen Koneko punch that guard! You wouldn't been proud of him._

 _By the way, I hope your evaluation goes over well. I'd hate to see the Vatican execute you over a prejudice report from some stupid foreigners. Take care, and make sure you learn some new recipes while you're there, eh?_

 _I'm no good at goodbyes, so I'll just stop here._

 _Sincerely, Suguro_

Rin smiled at that. He could tell his friend was trying very hard to be nice in his letter, and he'd done a decent job of it, too. For once he actually felt like things were cool between them.

 _Dear Rin,_

 _I hope your evaluation goes well, and know that whatever anyone else says you will always be seen as a kind, funny, and pure-hearted person to us. We will all miss you while you're gone._

 _Wherever you're going please be careful and don't get into any fights. I want to see you healthy and uninjured when you come back, okay?_

 _Sincerely, Shiemi_

The demon sighed. Shiemi thought he was coming back. They all did. Would Yukio eventually tell them? How long was this "evaluation" excuse going to last? At least until Bon starts suspecting.

He didn't know what Yukio planned on telling them after that. Maybe he himself didn't know yet, but they needed to think of something soon. It tore his heart in two that all his friends were under the false impression that Rin would one day come back to class, and that he knew the bitter truth.

 _Dear Okumura,_

 _Since Shima is too lazy to write to you himself I'll be including what he wants to say in my own letters. Personally, I think it's because he's still scared of you. But anyway, he'd like to say that he's sorry you had been put through that and wishes you a swift recovery._

 _I really don't see the point in this evaluation of yours. You and your brother both practically saved True Cross. One would figure they'd let you off the hook for that. Guess not. Well, whatever they say, I hope they put in a positive report. Just behave yourself and you should be fine._

 _Sincerely, Konekomaru_

Rin grinned. Everyone was telling him to behave himself as if he needed to be told. It was cool that his friends were looking out for him, even through the confines of a simple letter.

 _Dear Rin,_

 _I don't know why the Vatican thinks you're untrustworthy. Why would they waste the effort of looking you over, even though they've already seen you prove yourself many times? It must be really annoying, having to go all the way over there for no reason._

 _Just remember what I said about how common it is for exorcists to have blood ties with demons. Why would Satan's son be any different than them? Be sure to shove that in their faces during evaluation._

 _By the way, before I forget, I have to ask you something. How do you and your brother hide your tails in public? I don't have a reason for asking, okay? I'm just curious._

 _Sincerely, Izumo Kamiki_

Frowning slightly, he set Izumo's letter down and scratched his head. Why would Izumo be curious about that? He'd thought they all pretty much knew. It was common sense where one would hide their tail if need be.

Then again, none of them had tails themselves. It was only right that they wouldn't know and probably be a bit curious about it.

 _Dear Okumura,_

 _Seriously? An evaluation? You can do better than that, guys. Next time, come up with a reasonable excuse, and one that would better explain why you've disappeared for longer than just a few weeks._

 _I thought you were smarter, Rin. I really did. You had me fooled. I was under the impression that you were hiding your intelligence to seem less threatening. But I guess you didn't have any intelligence to hide. My mistake._

 _I do hope you come up with a believable excuse soon, because Mr. Suguro's frown is etched deeper and deeper each day. He's on to you, so be careful._

 _I wish the best of luck to you and your brother. And do try not to burn down the forest. You wouldn't want to destroy your mother's cabin and blow your cover now would ya?_

 _Sincerely, Takara_

The demon stared at the letter for a long time, wondering whether or not what he was seeing was real. Takara _talking_ to him, and in more than one sentence. And the fact that he knew everything and sympathized with their current struggle was unnerving.

He debated telling Yukio about this. Then he shook his head, deciding against it. His brother probably already knew, being the teacher and all.

 _Dear Rin,_

 _I cannot put into words just how sorry I am for everything that I've done to you. I wish time travel was possible. If it was I wouldn't hesitate to go back and fix everything. You deserve better than this._

 _And because I'm such a colossal failure I'm going back home before I can ruin anyone else's life. I doubt I'll ever see you guys again. I've left behind an old relic that I think will help you with your flames._

 _It's called a Pyromancer's tablet. When worn it focuses your energy and clears your mind of excess thoughts. It does require a heat signature to use, but you should be fine. All elemental-based creatures have some sort of energy signature, fire demons included._

 _If you want to know if you can perform magic I've left a simple spell in this letter for you to try out. It would be best if you're not around anything explosive when you give it a whirl. It's the same spell I use for making my purple fire. I'm so advanced that I no longer need the incantation, but for beginners it's best to just stick with the spell._

 _If you can't use magic, then that's that. But if you_ can _and you want to advance your studies in magic I suggest you take lessons from Mercy. I think she lives somewhere around Tokyo. You'll know when you find her. Or rather when she finds you._

 _Again, my deepest apologies for all the trouble I've caused you. I hope you become a great exorcist one day, and that your brother can convince the Vatican of your "Satan's Army" theory. It's a good theory. You should stick with it._

 _Also, I've left you one of my feathers in case you are able to perform magic. Mercy will probably ask you for something that proves your affliction with me. The feather will also serve as resource for the most common potion ingredients should you choose to take up the subject._

 _Fire Spell: "Mi' Re Kea"_

 _Best wishes and goodbye._

 _Sincerely, Katoptris_

Katoptris? So that was her real name…

Rin sighed as he stacked the letters together, carefully slipping them into a drawer in the bedside dresser. Takara was right. They needed to come up with something better next time. If they planned on keeping this secret forever, they'd need to stage Rin's death somehow.

And he knew Bon was too bull-headed and stubborn to believe Yukio when he'd say, "Rin died." The rooster-haired teen would just press further and demand an explanation. If they came up with a lame story the whole class would start suspecting.

The demon glanced over at his brother, who was folding his sheets and setting up his bed for the night. He looked just as worried as Rin was. They both knew that it wouldn't be enough.

o.O.0.O.o

 **Guys, I SUCK! It took me four days to write this whole thing! I hate myself. If I were a homunculus I would be named Sloth.**

 **Any of you notice that lately my chapters have been considerably longer? I sure have. I've got the word count right here. They've been pushing into the three thousands lately, and I suppose that's why I've been slow to update.**

 ***sigh* I can't wait until this story is over. I want to write for FMA. So many plot bunnies. It's not funny, either. And my teeth hurt from chewing all this gum.**

 **I had Chinese food yesterday and it was tasty!**

 **O.o Where the hell did that come from?**

 **Before I go completely insane I shall end this chapter now. My randomness and ADHD is starting to take over. HELP ME!**

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	28. Chapter 28

Colors of Fire Ch. 28

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **Okay! LET'S DO THIS!**

 **I'm back in the treehouse and I'm not coming down until this chapter is finished! I want to get this story done as quickly as possible, all while using the plot bunnies I have left. They keep bugging me.**

 **Now that Neko's out of the picture I can focus on everyone else. I should've just written this story without her from the very beginning. It would've gone a lot smoother that way. Oh well. What's done is done and I don't feel like gutting out this story again.**

 **Rin: Will you just write the chapter already?**

 **Hmph. Rude… Perhaps I should stuff you in the closet again.**

 **Rin: *runs away***

o.O.0.O.o

Yukio's POV

Opening his other suitcase, he ran his fingers along the lock mechanism and spun the dials. He always thought it odd, the suitcase's combination. A twisted mockery of fate, or a coincident, Yukio found himself questioning his own luck. When he slid the correct digits in place, the mechanism unlocked at the numbers 666.

He never bothered to show Rin. Either he'd suspect it to be some sort of set-up, or he just wouldn't care. Yukio himself didn't make a big deal out of it so there really was no point in telling anyone.

It was on that day, however, that the suitcase produced something demonic. And by demonic he meant an actual demon. He nearly leaped out of his skin when Kuro popped up underneath his folded shirts.

 _Fresh air! I'm FREE!_ Kuro meowed as he jumped out of the suitcase.

"Hey, Kuro!" Rin shouted over to them, grinning. "Why'd ya bring him, Yukio?"

The brown-haired twin took a second to recompose himself. "I didn't. He must've snuck in there while I was packing…"

 _The raven left, and I was all alone!_ the little cat explained, _I was scared you guys were going to leave me like Shiro did._

Both twins smiled at the cat softly. "We won't leave you, Kuro." Rin assured him. "We promise."

"I'll take you with me when I visit Rin." Yukio stated, "Unless, of course, you'd like to stay with Rin instead?"

The cat seemed to think about this. _How about we alternate? I stay with Rin for a while, and then with you for a while._

The brunette laughed. "That sounds like a plan, Kuro."

o.O.0.O.o

Koneko's POV

"MORE humans?" the little tree nymph complained, " _You're_ cleaning up whatever mess she makes!"

The monk-in-training laughed lightly and replied, "Don't worry. This is Shiemi. She won't make any messes here."

Said girl smiled and bent down to Minue's eye level. The blonde stuck out her hand for a shake and greeted, "Hello, Minue! My name's Shiemi Moriyama. I work in a garden just like this."

The nymph's eyes lit up. "You work in a garden, too?"

The two shook hands. Then they went on to talk about what to plant and at what times of the year, fertilizers, and general garden stuff. After a while, Koneko had no idea what the two were talking about, but it sounded rock-related. He adjusted his glasses and leaned against a tree.

Crossing his arms over his chest, he smiled as he watched the blossoming friendship.

o.O.0.O.o

After a few hours the conversation strayed to Minue's recent encounters with other nymphs.

"And Vele pushed her into the stream right before she could get the last string through the loop! It was so funny! She came out sopping wet, half-finished lei stuck to her hair and everything!"

They all giggled. The many misadventures of nature spirits were more interesting than Koneko would've anticipated. Minue shared a lot of stories with them, and in return they'd help her around the garden every week. They worked out the system to where all three of them would meet there on Wednesdays at around five or so.

"So Minue," Shiemi inquired, "Is Vele your best friend?"

The little tree nymph smiled. "Yes. We play together all the time. Recently she and her sisters met a fire demon that lives in the woods. Vele says that he's the nicest demon she's ever seen. I haven't met him myself, but I plan to visit Vele this weekend. Hopefully I'll get to see him then."

"Huh," Koneko tapped his chin, "A nice demon? I didn't know demons _could_ be nice. Well, except for…"

Koneko and Shiemi looked at each other.

"Rin!" they exclaimed in unison.

o.O.0.O.o

Izumo's POV

She had no idea. She'd always assumed that it was relatively easy for Rin to hide his most obvious demonic trait. Now Izumo was learning the hard way that, no, it wasn't in any way easy. And the fact that she was a girl and was required to wear the uniform's skirt wasn't helping.

The purple-haired half demon cursed Mephisto and his stupid policies. Why couldn't girls at least have the _option_ of wearing something other than a stripper's outfit? She didn't understand. One could tell between the genders regardless of what they were wearing. Girls usually wore their hair long, and if they didn't their voice would give it away. There was no need for the pink skirts and thigh-high stockings.

Izumo sighed and released her appendage from the weak grip of her hand. Flopping down on the bed, she let out a frustrated groan and rubbed her eyes. Why her? Why must she be the one with the demonic blood ties? They could've kidnapped Shiemi or Shura, but _no_ , they picked her to be their lab rat.

Not that she'd wish that horrible nightmare on her friend or teacher.

Because of what those psychotic bastards did to her, Izumo wasn't able to go out in public that day. She'd tried various ways of tying, binding, and even taping her tail up so no one would see it under her skirt. It was a school day that day and she'd ended up calling in sick.

She sent the golden question to Rin in her letters, hoping that he wouldn't reply something like, "In my pants." That wouldn't apply to her, seeing as how she wasn't allowed to _wear_ pants. She could've just asked Mr. Okumura, but that would've been too embarrassing. Plus, if she sent the question in a letter she wouldn't have to ask it face-to-face.

Since the day they escaped, Izumo had also inspected the other traits she was given. Like Rin and Mr. Okumura, she now had pointed elven ears and small fangs. Izumo wasn't a daughter of Satan, so she didn't inherit blue flames or anything, but she did receive an abnormal ability to influence the weather.

She'd opened her window to let in some fresh air and immediately the wind responded to her stressed emotional state. It went nuts, sending gales beating against anything unlucky enough to be out in the open. At one point she thought a small tree was going to be stripped of all its leaves.

As soon as she shut the window the wind stopped. Experimentally, she opened it again and the same thing happened once more. She'd done it again later when she wasn't so stressed and the wind responded with a gentle, soothing breeze wafting the scent of spring air into her dorm room.

She theorized that each demon had elemental affliction of some sort. If Rin and Yukio were fire demons, than she was a wind demon. At least, it made sense in her mind. When she'd mentioned it to Paku, her friend was having a hard time following her thought pattern.

Shiemi was only a tad bit more understanding. Even though the garden girl wasn't one for philosophy and theories she could comprehend an idea better than her other simple-minded friend. Although, Paku was a whole lot smarter in her stronger areas, like math and physics, which Izumo sucked at. An even balance, she thought.

The half demon was brought out of her musings when her door opened to reveal none other than Paku herself. She was carrying her sleeping bag, a backpack full of books, movies, video games, and enough junk food to feed a small country.

Izumo smiled at her friend's insistence. Once said friend got word of Izumo's mentally scarring ordeal she'd persisted in organizing a "healing sleepover" She was grateful for having a friend like Paku to cheer her up when she was down. And even though she was a half demon now, Paku still treated her same as ever.

Again, she thanked fate that Rin had broken that barrier for her.

"I've got romantic-comedies and vampire novels!" Paku announced excitedly, setting her stuff down and setting up camp.

"Awesome," Izumo said, grinning, "I could use some other-worldly drama right now."

Paku grinned back. "Yup! By the way, I hope you don't mind that I invited Shiemi. She texted me a few minutes ago that she's on her way with big big news! Oh I hope it's really juicy!"

Leave it to Paku to say something like "juicy".

"I don't mind." Izumo assured, spreading out her own sleeping bag on the floor.

Twenty-two minutes later Shiemi arrived. She opened the door with a surprising amount of excited energy. Whatever she had to say it must've been really good, because she looked like she was going to explode.

"We found Rin!" she shouted as soon as the door closed.

o.O.0.O.o

Bon's POV

"He's _where_?"

Koneko shut the door behind him, panted for a second and walked over to them, limping on sore legs. "He's in the woods somewhere! This tree nymph knows this water nymph that claims to have been seeing him for about a week now."

Bon snarled at his own stupidity. "I _knew_ it. He's not getting evaluated. Mr. Okumura was too tense to be telling the truth. I knew something was off, but I bought into his lies anyway."

The rooster-haired teen stood from his seated position on his bed and started pacing the room angrily. "Just what the hell are they pulling here? Evaluation or no there's no doubt that the Vatican is involved somehow. They're not executing him are they?" he asked no one in particular.

His face twisted into an enraged sneer. "If they think they can get away with something like this they'd got another thing coming…"

Shima stayed quiet in all this, too afraid to say anything at the risk of being chewed out by his pissed off friend. Konekomaru was thinking along the same lines. He too kept quiet, letting his friend vent his emotions before finally giving them the order.

The order came sooner than expected.

"We'll go tonight." he announced firmly, clearly intoning that there was no room for argument, "Koneko, find that nymph and find out where this "water nymph" lives. If Rin's in danger we're going to need to take action quickly before those bearded bastards have the chance to cut him down."

He received a hasty solute from his bald friend and Koneko rushed from the room to carry out his orders. Bon pointed at his remaining friend.

"Shima," he asserted, "I want you to go get your staff and any talismans we have left. Grab any holy water grenades you find, too. We'll need all the help we can get."

"Sir!" the white-haired teen saluted and quickly ran to retrieve the demanded supplies.

o.O.0.O.o

Takara's POV

He shifted his weight to a more comfortable position on the tree branch outside the boy's dorm building. Having overheard all that had gone down inside the room of the closest window, the young boy sighed. He'd been watching the Exwires for quite some time now.

The boy had kept an eye on these students since the very first day of class. He'd witnessed everything up until now. He'd kept tabs on Rin's progress all the way through. He'd also been told to keep an eye on the witch when she was there, which he had to admit was the most interesting job he'd been assigned that year.

And that wasn't saying much, considering that same year he'd been told to watch over the son of Satan as well.

Even though Rin had been in a tough position before, what with being exposed as Satan's son right in front of the Vatican, the demon hadn't been in a pickle quite like this before. A half demon son of Satan could just barely make it past the Grigori, but a whole demon would never be allowed to live, even with Mephisto's best argument.

The boy in the tree groaned in annoyance. When the rooster-haired kid found out just what happened to the poor demon it would jeopardize his survival further. It was a slim chance that word would get out. Takara had no doubts that the Exwire class would keep their lips sealed. But if it slipped out on accident somehow that would be the death of Rin.

So, as usual, before he even reported back to Mephisto, Takara knew it would be his job to come and bail the demon out. Of course, Mephisto had plans for Rin and this wouldn't affect them, but the clown enjoyed toying with him all too much. Takara slid down to the lowest bough of the tree and jumped to the ground with a small grunt.

 _Why me?_ he thought, already gritting his teeth at his boss's childish antics.

o.O.0.O.o

 **Why me indeed. I didn't intend on writing another small story arc, but this one just appeared before me on a glowing silver platter, begging to be written.**

 **That's alright though. This mini arc should serve as a satisfying closing note to this story. Hopefully I can end it with warm and fuzzy feelings, but I really don't foresee the Vatican being happy about this. That is,** _ **if**_ **they find out. I haven't decided on that yet.**

 **I'm leaning towards "no" on that one, but you never know.**

 **I cheated guys. I left the tree house to go get birdseed. And I went to the bathroom. I suck at keeping promises…**

 **So yeah, that about concludes this chapter. Plus, I want to go home now and eat some dog food. And don't worry; it's not really dog food. It's just a can of Ravioli's. My dad likes to call it dog food.**

 **Until next time.**

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	29. Chapter 29

Colors of Fire Ch. 29

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **Guys… I suck. I missed FIVE days. But now that I'm back I'm more determined than ever to finish this story with a flourish! I will NOT give up! I WILL finish this and post it! When life knocks you down you get back up, punch life in the face, and MOVE ON!**

 **By the way, I have a serious recommendation to make. DON'T, I repeat** _ **don't**_ **, overthink things. There** _ **is**_ **no hidden message between the lines. It's a scary white void we like to call Truth that resides there. Stay ignorant, my friends.**

 **Anywho, since we're coming up to the ending of my first story I'm going to pour my heart into improving my writing. I need to get better at this; otherwise** _ **all**_ **my stories are going to turn out like this one did—a failure.**

 **ONWARDS MY MIGHTY STEED! (steed is a polar bear)**

o.O.0.O.o

Bon's POV

It was half-past midnight and they were all starting to lose faith. Everyone, except for Bon. They'd been searching for hours for this little "cabin in the woods". At one point, even he began to wonder if this place existed. What if the nymph heard the story wrong? What if this demon wasn't even Rin?

All of these doubtful and pressing thoughts crowded his thought process, further confusing him as well as teasing a sense of relief that came with every glace of what resembled a cabin's shape. His mind was slipping into a state of hysteria and he didn't even know it yet. They were almost better off taking that old man's advice and resuming their search when the sky's star lit the world.

Bon could taste the blood on his lips from when he'd been chewing on them out of nervous habit. It was something he picked up since leaving that warehouse. Koneko and Shima warned him about the habit's ugly and distasteful results, but he found that it couldn't be helped. The stress was literally eating away at him, and he needed _something_ to preoccupy his teeth to keep them from chattering in the frigid morning air.

Once Koneko had told them about Rin's possible whereabouts Bon immediately seized the idea and acted upon his impulses. It wasn't a pretty sight when the rooster-haired teen slipped into "boss mode" and practically started foaming from the mouth. He just couldn't avoid it. When Bon was pissed, that was the end of the conversation. Everything else was shut out as his metaphorical vision tunneled, leaving him with no choice but to pursue an impossible goal.

This is what happened when he yelled at his dad, claiming that he would one day bring Satan down. This was just part of his personality. He'd been getting this "tunnel vision" since he was a mere child, and it was something deeply rooted into his soul. It wasn't a habit he could just kick, like biting his lips.

At least, he was confident in his abilities instead of letting self-conscious doubt stand in his way, like most people did. Well, he was pretty sure no one actually _let_ that happen, but other people were more prone to it than he was. And he'd always been grateful for that.

He steadied his breathing and trudged forwards in the foliage, his long-time friends flanking him while the rest of the Exwires tailed them from behind. Bon took it upon himself to lead this little expedition. The others had been more hesitant to actually search for Rin but the rooster-haired teen's mind was set in stone. They _were_ going to find that stupid blue monkey. _Tonight._

o.O.0.O.o

Rin's POV

Up. Down. Up. Down….

The sequence of outside force and gravity was hypnotizing. The demon had been watching the ball in his hand for about twenty minutes now. He tossed it up, and the earth's pull brought it back down for him. The little cat beside him, head tilted in wonder, stared at the ever-moving object. Kuro's eyes shifted up and down in sync the rhythm of the ball.

It was more than enough to keep Rin busy for hours on end, but the weight of recent happenings yanked his head out of the clouds and slammed him face-first into the ground. He remembered again what had taken place in the cabin that morning, and the ball rested still in the palm of his hand again, drawing out a confused glance from the previously mesmerized cat.

 _What's wrong, Rin?_ Kuro asked, _Still thinking about… that?_

The bluenette lowered his face, letting his bangs shadow his eyes. Truthfully, he was ashamed. He had no idea that something like that would happen and he had apologized countless times to his brother. Yukio was over in the other room, treating the burns on his arms, legs, and tail.

The elder twin sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back against the bed post. The little cat padded up to him and placed its front paws on his leg. Kuro's eyes conveyed sympathy and worry all in the same misty stare. A small smile pulled on the left corner of his lips. The younger demon reached his arm out and scratched behind the feline's ears.

The gesture, demon or no, always brought out comforting purr from any and all cats. This time being no different, the little cat made a small rumbling of pleasure deep in his throat. Rin sometimes wondered how cats made that noise and continued to breath. It was one of the world's many mysteries. At least, it was a mystery for someone un-educated like himself. He wasn't about to crack open some dusty old book to satisfy a tiny pang of unknowing. He didn't want to know _that_ badly.

These thoughts only clouded his mind for so long, however, because his guilt just kept creeping back to him. Memories of his brother's startled scream filtered through and dissolved the happy notions of a cat's purr in its thick acidic potency. At times, Rin truly wished he could use magic like Neko could. At least then he could find ways to concoct some kind of forget-me spell and cast away these haunting thoughts.

Then again, Yukio would just remind his twin of the incident as soon as he'd forgotten. His brother wasn't _that_ nice. In his own special ways, he too wasn't unlike his natural kin in that sense.

o.O.0.O.o

Takara's POV

The decision had been left up to him. Either stop the Exwires with some kind of demon attack or kidnap Rin and take him somewhere else. Takara's stature was smaller than Rin's and he was pretty sure the demon wouldn't fit in your average potato sack. So the boy went with option one.

Way high up in a tree, on the tallest bough that could hold him, he stroked the feathers of a solar phoenix. They were beautiful birds with bleached lavender and deep purple melting together on their plumage around the wings. The tail feathers extended a good two feet outwards, the middle feather curling elegantly on the very tip. The wingspan reached about six feet across.

The bird's neck was gracefully long, like a crane, and its beak a smooth four-inch long cone, polished to perfection. The eyes were a deep emerald, beautifully noticeable against the dark purple feathers jutting from the back of the head. Overall it was the most amazing creature one could have the honor to behold. And it was quite possibly the most dangerously temperamental animal in the world.

It wasn't even a demon but Mephisto insisted he use it. The clown assured him that she wouldn't kill the Exwires, so long as no one insulted her appearance. Takara had silently breathed a sigh of relief at that. The bird was incredible. No one would be making a mockery of it, that's for sure.

The bird wouldn't be directly involved with distracting the Exwires anyway. She was just the bait to lure out something much worse. The headmaster took the liberty of turning a five-minute briefing into a fifty-minute lecture explaining exactly how and why the bird would be used as bait. Takara learned more in that lecture than he ever wanted to know in his life, and he'd been immensely over-joyed when Mephisto dismissed him to his duties.

Now the boy was awaiting the arrival of the Cram School students, silently grooming the solar phoenix in hopes of gaining its complete cooperation. The bird would only follow him if it was well-respected. Seeking the trust of such the magnificent creature was easier than Taming, which was perfect since Takara didn't have the time to deal with a lazy demon anyway.

A twig snapped under the weight of someone's step and the bird –Eminyst her name was – perked up at the sound. A couple seconds trotted by and the Exwires were in sight, the leader displaying his usual scowl as he made his way through the bushes. The rest of the class didn't look too pleased, lost in the woods, in the middle of the night, being dragged across the habitat by a half-crazy Aria with a bossy attitude. Takara felt bad for them.

He could also hear what they were saying, even from that distance.

"… told you, we'll find him!" Bon was saying, tone full of conviction, "He's gotta be around here somewhere."

The white-haired Shima pouted as he dragged his feet. "Bon, we've been searching for _hours_. We can finish looking tomorrow. My feet are gonna fall off any second now!"

Izumo didn't look much better. "How much further did the nymph say, Shiemi?" She looked exhausted. Her hair was a rat's nest and dark circles rested beneath her eyes, shadowing her cheekbones.

The blonde was trudging along; eyes shut tight, her hand clasped firmly on her friend's sleeve for visual guidance. When Izumo asked the question Shiemi reluctantly cracked open an eye to view their surroundings. Then she glanced at a small compass in her hand.

"We should be coming up on the waterfall soon." she stated sleepily, receiving a lot of thankful groans and sighs from the rest of the Exwires.

Takara took that as his cue.

o.O.0.O.o

Yukio's POV

Yukio removed the small towel from the rack and wiped the remaining beads of water from his forehead. He'd cleaned and dressed every wound. During his time in the bathroom, the length of procedure provided for him a sufficient amount of time to reflect on that day's run of events.

The young teacher reluctantly agreed to a sparring match with his brother for "exorcise" purposes. They'd cleared a spot in one of the nearby meadows, translated: Rin burned the grass. The fire left a huge circle of black earth, a circle in which Yukio was sure would satisfy any nymph's gardening needs. He wouldn't be surprised if they returned to that area to find the patch of ground blanketed in blooming flowers and flourishing vegetation.

It'd taken the half demon a while, but after Rin introduced him to Tesh, Octa and Vele, Yukio accepted the fact that humans did indeed share this world with spirits of living nature.

The two brothers had used the black circle for its immediate purpose. Even though Kurikara no longer sealed Satan's, or rather Rin's, power, the demon was persistent in educating himself in swordsmanship. And he wasn't even doing a shabby job of it, either. Granted it wasn't anything like it should've been, him training with Shura, but he was coming along in his skills. Yukio, too, had been downgraded from his guns to an extra sword he found in Neko's old room.

At first, the half demon had been hesitant to even remove the sword from the room, but the note tied to it reassured him that it was left there purposely.

 _Dear Yukio,_

 _I'm leaving my sword to you. I don't even remember my father, but I'm sure he would've wanted this. A sword needs to be used, not lugged around by a traveling chimera. I have absolutely no skills in swordsmanship, but I know you have potential. Learn how to fight alongside your brother. I know your main weapons are your guns, but it's always in a fighter's best interest to have a melee weapon in case things get ugly. Please take good care of it and if it proves useless to you pass it along to Rin._

 _P.S. The sword's enchanted to always return to its owner. Even if you throw it off the side of a cliff, or it gets swallowed by something, it'll reappear in your hand after about ten seconds. It will only stay unattended if you forfeit its ownership._

 _Sincerely, Katoptris_

One of the few reasons Yukio actually complied with his brother's spar was that he figured he could try and learn swordplay, and test the sword's so called "enchantment". They even tried out Neko's tablet, however, that proved to have been a terrible idea. As soon has Rin hooked the chain his flames responded, setting him and his surroundings angrily ablaze. Yukio remembered hearing a scream right before he passed out. Whether it was Rin's or his own, he didn't bother with the useless detail. Afterwards Yukio had waved off Rin's many apologies, trying to reassure his brother that, no, he didn't hate him and he wasn't going to blame him for what had happened.

It was the tablet that was the problem, so it was _not_ Rin's fault. But the stubborn demon wouldn't have it. Regardless of Yukio's consistency he blankly refused to believe it. Yukio imagined his demon brother was still tearing himself up for what happened and the teen sighed, preparing himself for a long detailed conveyance of his own emotions.

But right then he heard a loud noise coming from the main room of the small cabin. He might've guessed it to be cracking wood if he had to narrow it down, but that hardly mattered at the moment. Yukio knew, just by instinct, that his brother was in trouble. _Again._

The half demon rushed into the other room and gasped from his place in the doorway.

o.O.0.O.o

 **Guys! This chapter was amazing! I surprised myself when I went back and read through it. This chapter is the living embodiment of my best efforts at this point. I ROCK AT WRITING!**

 **I just realized something. If I really wanted to I could delete the former chapters and start a whole new adventure with this. I could definitely get away with it seeing as how amazing of a job I did writing it. But I'm far too lazy to do that. So I'm thinking I'll wrap up this story in the next chapter and call it a day.**

 **BREAKING NEWS: I just drew an astonishing picture of an anime girl with blue hair. She looks awesome and everything is proportionate and in the right place! I might put it up as my avatar picture but I haven't decided yet. It's nowhere near as good as the one I have up right now, and, being that it's not drawn by me, I still have a long way to go before my pictures look that awesome.**

 **I had something else to say. I know I did…**

 **Oh yeah! I absolutely love the name I gave the solar phoenix! Don't you? I think I'll use Eminyst again sometime. It's my name so no one steal it! Well, it's not** _ **my**_ **my name, but you get the point.**

 **Well, that about seals it up. Let's get this road on the show! Next chapter's the last one and I'm planning something very spectacular! I know I said a couple chapters ago I'd be writing five more but I only have one plot bunny left. I don't care if you guys like it, because I LOVE it. So much planning, blood, sweat, and tears went into this ending and I'm so happy to have finally reached this point. Not many writers on here finish their stories, but here I am! Doing the impossible!**

 **Okay! I'll save all the mushy emotions and waterfall tears for the ending author's notes next chapter. So, for now, until next time.**

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


	30. Chapter 30

Colors of Fire Ch. 30

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Exorcist or its characters.**

 **Oh my gods, guys! My eyes are getting misty here! It's here! The end of this story! I'm so happy that I pushed myself to finish this. Now all you wonderful people get to witness the result of this plotline and my learnings as a writer. May my story be an example of what not to do, save for the last two chapters which have turned out AMAZING!**

 **At least,** _ **I**_ **think I did an amazing job on them.**

 **Anywho, I have a lot to say to you guys, but I'm going to save it all for the ending notes.**

 **Percy: Thank the gods…**

 **Wha- h-how did you…?**

 **Percy: You left the door open.**

 ***breaths and counts to ten***

 **Percy: Hey, you alright?**

 **GET OUT OF MY OFFICE! OUT! ALL OF YOU!**

 **Percy: *runs away***

 **YOU TOO, AMAIMON!**

 **Amaimon: *grins and leaps front the window sill***

 **Ahem. Now that that's sorted, on with the show!**

o.O.0.O.o

He sat in a bough of a tall tree overlooking the ocean's endless swaying energy. The tides crashed onto the rocks down by the shore, joining the noise in which the seagulls gliding above projected, allowing for a state of temporary bliss in his mind. Often he would prepare his sleep in the shadow of earth's greatest natural force. After all these years he patronized Poseidon over his brothers, yet in his youth he would've snickered at the very idea of the divine siblings.

He was never one much for enthusiastic belief until the first five centuries of his life had passed. With age came wisdom, and now he understood Time. He understood the being he had once thought impossibly insane. And for how long he'd lived he measured one's sanity by their views, not state of mind. An open-minded man is a sane man. A man whose views are not tethered to one or more ideas is flexible and resilient to life's cruel and inexplicable happenings.

A man who seeks to tie himself to a rock drowns as the Moon raises her hand to Poseidon's power. One view, one belief, one perception is doomed to snap and shatter at the slightest quake of question. One tether does not hold fast against the might of unreason. This was what he learned during his immortal sentence, and was why he wordlessly accepted any and all possibilities.

He'd had a similar breakthrough some seven centuries ago when he'd been turned away from Charon's ferry. When he lost his mortality he was as he looked now: young. A mere child to any old sailor, but he possessed a kind of conduction, sparking elder knowing in the conversations with his companions.

"How it is yer look so young, yet yer speak with the tones of the timeless, it baffles even the old man of the sea." his captain jested as he raised his pint for a toast. The rest of the crew drank to their commander's words and the old demon merely leaned back in his chair and joined his friends in their alcohol-tainted musings.

Once a year he'd board the St. Merie's Spirit, the vessel in which his companions inhabited, and he'd accompany them in their journeys for about six months. At each port he'd disembark to resume his land-bound duties as an exorcist. All of the men which understood clapped him on the back and commended his brave efforts to rid their world of his corrupted kin.

It was now, in his tree, that the demon felt pangs of loneliness and yearned for their company. He'd passed many years with the men of St. Merie's Spirit, and every encounter he noticed how age was taking to their withered frames. The light of their eyes and the contentment laced firmly into their voices remained unchanging, yet their own mortal vessels were steadily declining. The demon was indefinite to these hindrances, yet his heart ached with mourn for every spirit that Charon so cruelly snatched away from him.

The old demon sighed from his perch and absently scratched at the bark. His nails uprooted a small section of bark to reveal a cohort of ants, marching in and out of their wooden tunnels in perfect alignment. Most of them carried specimens of food for their queen and colony, while others were burdened with natural construction supplies. Why ants would need things like twigs and splinters was beyond him, however, he was in no place to question them. He simply re-covered the bare wood and left the little insects to their labors.

Sitting back and readjusting his position he gazed openly at the sea. His mind drifted to his past and childhood. He reflected on the time period in which his brother still lived. Ah, what fun times he had then. He couldn't help but smile when he looked into the scrying bowl of his mind. How infinitely ignorant he was, and how profoundly wiser he was now. His mindset mirrored that of Samael's at times, yet his immortality hadn't taken from him the memories of youth.

He remembered his old friends with a generous affection. Those humans had – and would always – inhabit the larger chamber of his heart. He could still hear his classmates' voices in his slumbers and when he called upon the memories consciously. He sorely missed the company of his departed brother, who was fated to suffer eternal life with him. However, the Fates weaved the quilt of his life and cut his brother's thread from it six centuries ago.

His brother had indeed lived what would've been considered a satisfactory life to the human race. His body matured to match his mind and he'd married his and his brother's high school crush. When the demon received word of his brother's union with her, he possessed not a bitter heart, but one filled with content and joy. He'd had no quarrels with his brother's choice in partnership. The old demon had visited several times since that fateful day at the cabin, and each encounter presented a new joy in his brother's life.

The first few visits consisted of his brother climbing the ranks of the exorcist profession. After an understandable ten year gap did his brother marry the girl whom they'd both fallen for. Twice a dozen months passed and their first child was born. Three more lives inherited the nature of their grandfather; however, the eldest sibling bared no mark of paranormal attributes.

As for the rest of his friends and former classmates, they'd all passed peaceful years with his brother in the cabin until adulthood and quitted the school. The girl he'd nicknamed "Eyebrows" became a shrine maiden in the temple which she lived in as a small child. The garden girl, as explained earlier, married his brother. The three monks parted to separate ways, much to his disappointment. However, the eldest monk fulfilled his promise to restore his father's temple. He never knew what became of the silent student who hadn't participated in the class activities.

He'd encountered the witch who stole his mortality (unintentionally) again several times before her death. They'd relate recent events, hold idle chat, and part ways.

Remembering the events leading up to the accidental life-ruining procedure was unpleasant and bothersome to resurface. His thoughts veered from them and he skipped to the day at the cabin. The day his classmates discovered what the witch had really done to him. The demon had, defeated, sat down and explained to them his circumstances and he left his brother in their care afterwards. Leaving the way he did scored marks on his sanity at the time. And in his weakened state of mind, Samael happened across the weeping demon and took him in.

He'd already had a complicated relationship with the elder demon, however, all of his spite and anger melted as he shared his views and philosophies. And with a recovered mind he was allowed a chance to renew his purpose. He'd grown used to the aching hole in his heart which was created from his companions' absence and forged a clearer path than before.

Now as he sits in the tree he is contented with his past and worrisome for his current companions on the St. Merie's Spirit. He grips the hilt of his hollow sword with preservation and gazes to the moon in wonder. He, like the eldest monk of his past, had satisfied his promises of retaining the highest rank in exorcism. As someone of his rank it wasn't proper of him to reside in a tree, but rather an office filled with reports and agreements for him to sign. By some little degree of immortal sympathy Samael had bended over backwards to provide for him this simple freedom of which he enjoyed now.

In one of the many pockets stitched into his exorcist's coat his cellphone buzzed with an incoming message. He reluctantly fished out the only piece of technology he carried with him and examined the Grigori's newest assignment. It was another disturbance in a nearby village, one of which required more attention than he would've thought necessary. He sighed. The old demon slipped down from his tired perch and stretched his limbs.

Readying his steel weapon, he melted into the darkness of the night.

o.O.0.O.o

 **An amazing finish for an amazing story!**

 **I should read old books more often. It makes my writing ten times better when I've got the old-time English thought pattern going. In case you were wondering which particular book I've been reading, it's Mary Shelly's** _ **Frankenstein**_ **. Good book. Definitely give it a read if you haven't. You'll learn more in that one novel than you would by watching five animes.**

 **Honestly, the only reason I'm even posting this story is because I've seen worse. This was pretty crappy up until the last two chapters, and I'll definitely put more effort into my stories now.**

 **So yeah, thank you for sticking with me all this time! You guys are incredible, seriously. Even though as I'm writing this I'm all alone at my writing desk I still feel as though I'm connected to my future readers.**

 **I've learned a whole lot while writing this story, and now I know exactly how much effort it takes to write something spectacular: grammar & spelling, ridiculously long chapters, and excellent writing structure. It takes a lot of hard work to make a masterpiece, and above all it takes **_**time**_ **.**

 **May the first twenty-eight chapters of this story serve as an example of what** _ **not**_ **to do, and the last two chapters as examples of dedication.**

 **Me personally, I love the ending of this story, but that's really up to you to decide. A wise woman once said that the meaning of life is as you see it and it's entirely up to you to determine the answer.**

 ***sigh* And now, like all good things, this story must come to an end. I've acquired the necessary skills to write an entirely acceptable fanfic and I'm proud of myself for obtaining them so very soon in my writing career. I am very perceptive, sometimes too much for my own good.**

 **I've completed my mighty quest to finish a fanfic! Harah!**

 **The next fandom I plan to write for: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood! Story name may be: What's With The Braid? or Steel Feathers. Now goodbye, my loyal readers!**

 **Fare thee well, strange ones!**


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